Stars and Shadows
by Guilty.Ink
Summary: Just this once, maybe the charismatic Hanabusa Aidou would fall for the absolute average - not that he knew exactly why, when or how it had happened. AidouOC.
1. Stargazer

"And the top student for Advanced Functions is...student 964," Sagawa-sensei announced at a failed attempt of hiding the student's identity. And perhaps it would have worked if the number _964 _hadn't been called out several times that night, and would have worked if it wasn't all too obvious who it was: Aidou Hanabusa.

The aristocrat blonde vampire yawned, rubbing his eyes as he kicked his long legs on the table. The man in front of the multi-levelled classroom continued to drone on as the rest of the students leisurely sprawled out about the class. Hanabusa turned to his cousin. "Yo."

The tall, tan man didn't move. His face was hidden behind a book that lay flat over it but being so close to him for seventeen years, Hanabusa knew that he heard him. "Do you wanna -"

Suddenly he stopped. He straightened up and his cobalt eyes focused on the forest shown outside the window. Somewhere, someone was bleeding.

Chapter One: Stargazer

I'm bleeding.

I couldn't tell by sight, of course, but I was bleeding. I felt the pain. I felt the wind over my palm and invasion of my senses. I shivered. Even without being able to _see _it, the wound felt bad. And with my horrible sight considered, the feeling of something spread over my hand made me nauseated. I mean, I couldn't _tell_ it was blood - except for the fact that it was denser than sweat - by the common indicator which was a red liquid because I didn't know what that was.

Yep. That was right. I didn't know red. But that was redundant when you're an Achromatic. In other words, a dog could see more colour than me. My world was in black and white and even in this darkness, my vision was fine - but when light arrived with the morning, everything was blurred beyond belief.

I sighed and touched the palm. The wet feeling grew and I started to panic. I should go somewhere - to the Nurse but...I couldn't. It would be embarrassing. And I was one of those people...those introverts, I suppose...that shied away social gatherings. And yes, nurse offices were too much. I didn't want to bother her. She'd probably just give me a bandage and send me away as over dramatic. I didn't want that.

Perhaps being at Cross Academy wasn't the best school for me, but there wasn't much options in Japan for the colour-blind. Any public school would ridicule me, and this was the only place that didn't have a colouring-focused curriculum for children. And as the years grew, I continued to stay here...hidden. I didn't think I've ever had a conversation with anyone here - with the high-pitch girls, with the incredibly fit and thin, or the willowy shape, or the curvy or statuesque...

My world was also full of adjectives. I couldn't describe anyone as _blonde _or _brunette _because how the hell was I suppose to tell? Unless I referred to someone as "_oh hey your hair is a lighter shade of gray!' _but that again, just didn't quite cut it.

Where were the prefects? I saw them around - the short girl, and the taller guy. He, I remembered. His hair was practically white with eyes to match. "Hello?" I called out into comforting darkness of the forest. "Hello! Anybody here? Injured person!" Usually I wasn't the shouting type but they would be coming to _me _and I was starting to panic. What if I didn't get out of here when the sun rise?! I wasn't a vampire but a sunrise would not only be uncomfortable, but incredibly blinding. "Hello - oh! Uh, hi."

There was a guy in front of me and he looked different. It took me a second to realize why - his uniform were shades lighter than my own. I'm pretty sure that that meant he was a Night Class student. I had previously tried to enter that class because wouldn't that be so much easier? I wouldn't have to wear sunglasses or red central lenses - I could just walk around in the non-painful dark! But I was shot down. And laughed at. Headmaster Kaien actually looked at me and laughed and danced away from my parents and I. If having hemeralopia (light blindness, just going to throw that out) wasn't a good excuse for enrolling...I didn't know what was.

"Do you mind helping me?" I asked. Yes, I know I said I was an introvert, but you have to understand: this was purely necessary. I _needed _to talk. This wasn't for fun...I was legitimately unable to make my way back and this wound wasn't allowing me to think straight. On top of that, in several minutes, I would be blind. -Er. "I'm bleeding."

Something strange was going on because his eyes went down few shades. And trust me, I could pick up changes quite well. I blinked and took a step back and the edge of my telescope tapped against my hips.

"You are, hm?" He repeated and there was a predatory sound in his low voice. He was freaking me out.

"Uh, you know what?" I looked around for someone else. "Never mind." But when I turned around, it was as if he snapped out of a spell. He leaned over me and peered curiously behind me. I nervously - or maybe territorially - touch my telescope. "Can I help you?" Mind the fact that _I _was the one calling out for help. Then he blinked and his face was wiped clean.

"Stargazing?" He asked and there was a new light tone in his voice, as if he had never done it before.

"Sure." I just wanted to be out in the night and study the stars - to look at the beautiful stars. Everyone saw them the same, saw the bright light against a dark backdrop. But I wasn't going to say _any _of that. All the thoughts in my mind were filtered out with one-worders.

"Anything in particular?"

Screw the filter. Bring up a topic that I loved, and I was more talkative than anything. "Yeah!" I spun around and expertly adjusted the knob. I couldn't fight down the smile as I located the constellation I had discovered before I slammed my hand over the wrong bars that scraped the skin off clean. I ignored the stinging as I looked into the finderscope. That grin grew full blown."See? That's Aquila." I gestured at the stranger to come. He looked surprised of himself and hesitant but he walked over towards me anyway.

As he walked towards me and leaned in close, I was suddenly aware of the situation - that _I was here starwatching with a stranger. _But it was something I loved and -

"I don't see anything," he said and you could just hear his eyebrows pull together in frustration. I blinked. He stood up - he was a lot taller than me, I noticed - and I looked back into the telescope. Are you kidding me?

"It's right there!" I insisted and took a step back. He tried again and his expression was so obviously the one of those who thirsted for knowledge, of the ones that couldn't rest until he had the answer. But as his eye met the scope and seconds pass by, he frowned.

"They just look like dots."

"They look like - _what_?" I stopped and closed my eyes. Oh. My. Lord. I rubbed my eyes and sighed. "If an Achromatic can see it you and you can't, there's something wrong with you, buddy." I said with a sudden burst of confidence, eyebrows raised. This was _my _territory. This was my speciality and I was going to defend it until the world came burning down. But then realizing that I had let it slipped, I was about to cover up for myself until - hey, no one knew what it meant! Right?

Wrong.

"You're colour blind?"

"Er...hi."

He opened his mouth but when his hand habitually fell, he froze. Then his eyes dropped and he raised his finger. I had to squint my eyes but even then I couldn't tell what made him stop. Then intuition kicked in and I realized he must have touched a stain. Awkward. I tried to step in for damage-control. "Well maybe next time you'll see the stars," I said quickly and shoved myself in the distance from him and my baby. I quickly dismantled what I could but I didn't stop talking. "There's always Orion, that's a lot easier to see...and of course the Dippers, and other planets...Maybe even a meteorite. Shooting star. Whatever rocks your boat. Next time."

Record time. I snapped everything shut in my case and stood up. I beamed to outdo my nervousness and it looked like he was trying very hard to restrain himself. My smile widened. Again. Nervousness. I tended to that without thinking.

"Yeah," he said quietly. So rarely have I ever met guys who could look so thoughtful. Then again, this was from the girl that men talked to when they were assigned projects with, not because of actual interest. It wasn't like I was ugly, but I couldn't stare into their eyes and compare them to the sky to boost their ego - because the sky is gray and so is the rest of the world. Colour-blind just didn't cut it for girlfriend material. Friends, maybe -

"Maybe."

Did he just read my mind?

I blinked and then realized that he was saying _maybe _to my flimsy and insincere invitation. "Well...it was nice meeting you..." I said slowly, as if it was a question. I strapped what I can over my shoulder and held the case in my hand, examining him one last time. His eyebrows were furrowed, giving him that deep in thought expression yet again. My hand flew up in a mock salute, and I disappeared.

* * *

Why can't there be any Aidou/OC that doesn't involve a beautiful girl with a tragic back story? I hope you enjoyed - and I promise it gets better from this start up. Reviews would be lovely, and criticism is encouraged :)


	2. A Star

Chapter Two: A Star's Trail

"Hanabusa," Akatsuki snapped with a flicker of irritation in his sienna eyes. His eyebrows furrowed towards his cousin, but the blonde vampire was squinting up towards the sky. The slightest sunlight was seen over the horizon, breaking through the black and blue of the sky. Hanabusa simply stared, expressionless as he ignored his cousin.

He wondered how the world would look like in black and white, but then decided the thought was too depressing to dwell in. How could anyone live without colour? He shook his head to clear the thought away. "Huh?"

Akatsuki sighed. His temper was little to none and it faded as soon as he ran his fingers through his hair. He was tired and wanted to get back into bed before the sun rose. "No one got hurt, did they?"

Hanabusa's face scrunched up. "No!" He cried out indignantly, "why would anyone get hurt?" He spoke quickly and his tone was immediately suspicious. Akatsuki stared at him, the slightest confused expression on his face. _What's gotten into him_?

"You ran out as soon as you smelled blood." He turned his head and there was no one around. Well, no one _still _around at least. "What, was it a squirrel?"

He blinked and his face dropped. "Sure," he said quietly and as soon as his strange behaviour had appeared, it was gone. "Just a squirrel." He nodded back towards the path away from the dense cover of trees and they began walking back towards the Dorms in silence. And they didn't speak at all – making Akatsuki only more curious as to what drew out his cousin, and _why _he was being so secretive about it.

But there was no way that Hanabusa was going to tell anyone that there was a human girl in the forest, stargazing, perhaps every night. That would be his little secret.

0-0

In the familiar blackness of my room – a _single _room, I gladly add - I ran a brush through my hair. If I looked down, strings of a darkish shade of gray would be present. I didn't know what colour my hair was and the thought irritated me. I groaned. It was the same every morning, and although once in awhile I would ask my parents _hey what colour am I? _They would say things like _red_ or _burgundy _but it was stupid.

Because how the hell was I suppose to know what _red _looked like?

It was stupid to torment yourself over something you've never had before, something you never will have - and yet I did anyway.

It was that sort of going in circles that made me discover that my eyes were also hazel. In my dictionary, it was _a darker sometimes lighter gray _which wasn't very informative either. It was weird. These were the only colours – uh, shades – I've known and most of the time, that was how I decipher things. But other times when I felt like being an angsty teenager, I would bitch and complain about how everyone else has these magical, versatile things called colours and I had grey. Like this morning. I hated mornings - it gave me too much reflection time.

I sighed. "Just gotta get through the day," I mutter to myself as I propped up against the mirror. I popped in my red central lenses – it was exactly like how it sounded: a clear contact lens with red in the centre where my pupils were. It didn't give me colour as much as sharpened the ones I've already seen, giving them sharper definitions. I needed them particularly this morning. Although it was December, it was still too bright out in the morning.

I didn't even know _why _I was thinking so much about appearances. It usually wasn't such a big deal. And no, it wasn't because I was a mature teenager or anything – it was just the way things sort of work when you have a monochrome vision. And despite my rambling, I knew exactly why I was thinking about these things: because I met someone. And you have to understand, I didn't usually _run into _people. People are simply there when I arrive but I've never met a stranger before. Again, another unintentional side effect of being an Achromatic. And I could lie all I want, but it was clear: I would not mind seeing the stranger again.

Do you know when you love something, and you want to scream out to the world about its divine perfection? Stars were like that to me. I didn't exactly want _everyone _loving it as much as I did – a teenager inferiority complex, I guess – but maybe I can share it with this guy. Again, I found myself sighing. Slipping on my sunglasses - which I wore not to looked cool, I assure you, but to block out more light - I left the comfort of my room.

The light that streamed down the corridor was annoying but what was worse was the rush of girls getting ready to school. I should give them a break though; they _have _to care about that sort of thing. Visual appearances were a big deal when you could see colour. But this wasn't too bad. What _was _bad was the way they got ready _after _school and it wasn't because they were going out into town. Nope, it was because the Night Class was finally out of their shadows and out to play.

A familiar damp _thing _nudging at my hand made me grin. "Hey, Akira!" I bent down to shuffle the fur at its collar. Meet Akira, my service dog. Like I said, I wasn't blind but things got damn hard to see when the light was out at its full power during the day. I was still petitioning for Akira to stay in my room but so far, Headmaster Kaien only allowed him in a make-shift kennel but every morning when I would step out, my loyal canine friend would be already there.

I guess I was playing up the whole blindness thing with the sunglasses and dog, which made people think that I was completely blind. But it wasn't too bad, and I didn't mind the curious company - granted they cared for Akira, not me. And so I fell into the same monotonous routine of sitting in class and relying solely on my ears for the lesson. I wrote on a black paper with white pen and I wrote _big_. Again, all little modified things to aid the colour blind. When lunch arrived, I skipped it and opt out for coffee instead at the library. Then classes. And more. Then it was over.

To say the least, nothing was terribly interesting, not until night fell and I was back in my terrain.

0-0

It wasn't even dawn yet when I began setting up my beloved telescope out in the forests of Cross Academy. This whole forest thing made me a keeper, guaranteeing my student life here until I graduate. But since there was still a stream of light, my vision wasn't at its best. Light was confusing and so bumping into trees were a real possible pain in the ass.

I had my notebook out and astronomy texts. Setting up my telescope became second nature and within seconds, it was up and ready to go. The only thing left were the stars to come out. With a deep exhale, I kicked back on a blanket and felt the world around me disappear with the much needed nap.

0-0

Aidou shot some girls.

Figuratively, of course, and they were consumed with giggling and shrieks, wanting him to shoot them too. But he didn't - the first one was a weak attempt anyway. He sighed, clearly no longer amused. His arm went limp but he did it just for the sake of upholding that Idol image. It was usually fun being so completely and unconditionally loved by all these humans but with the approaching winter break, he just wanted to go back to his house and leisurely do nothing.

By the time he arrived inside his first class, the previously orange skies were now streaked with indigo and dark violet. He sat up straighter. As soon as it was black outside, he would be leaving.

After his encounter with that human last night, he realized how much he didn't like being patronized. He made a point of studying astronomy and stars so that he could recognize them just to make sure that no one would think of him as incompetent. It took him several hours and Ruka had called him a nerd as Akatsuki gaped with horror at him - but he knew it all now. And as soon as the stars came out, he would be out of this class and shove it into her face of how much more he knew about stars than she -

She?

_What was her name?_

* * *

Slow start, but I'm just wondering if anyone's even reading this! Thank you to **Blackenflames**, **Bottomless Pit of EMOTIONS**, **maddie24clover**, "**me**" and **Guest** for reviewing, though! And of course **Alliana2312 Blackenflames Bottomless Pit of EMOTIONS Krystal Asakura crystalbleach208** and **maddie24clover **for favouriting as well :)

Hope you enjoyed, my lovely few readers, and reviews would be great :)


	3. To Recognize the Stars

Chapter Three: To Recognize the Stars

By his second class, it was almost pitch black outside. As soon as he stepped out of his first to go to his next period, Akatsuki placed a hand on his shoulder. "Where you heading?" He asked although he didn't sound all too curious. But the gesture itself proved that this bronze-haired man did not want a certain reckless blonde to sneak out and get himself in trouble, which of course, would result into him getting into trouble as well.

"On a walk."

"Walk, huh?" He asked and stared at his cousin. He was frowning as he let go of his grip to scratch his head. "You know that whatever you're doing, I'll get dragged into it…right?"

"Who says I'm doing anything wrong?!" Hanabusa snapped but he knew fair well that even if his cousin wasn't with him, Kaname would still kill them both anyway. It was the burden that Akatsuki carried - the burden of simply _knowing_. His bluish green eyes peered at his cousin's butterscotch ones, challenging to try and stop him. Akatsuki sighed, defeated.

"Fine, whatever." The taller vampire sighed exasperatedly. "I tried."

Hanabusa just smiled.

But what they both didn't know was the way Takuma leaning over the door to hear their conversation, his ivy green eyes bright with curiosity. And he, unlike Akatsuki, had a spare.

0-0

When Hanabusa arrived - at the same spot - he yelped. "Get off me!" He shouted as a huge, vicious German Shepherd snarled and pounced. The _thing_ took a step back towards the girl and she mumbled something, rubbing her eyes as she yawned. "Akira?" She frowned and then slowly looked up to see a wide eyed man. She stretched again, her eyes wincing. "Calm down boy," she said soothingly as she stroked the dog that was bent on protecting her. "It's just a student," she said but the dog still had its teeth bared as if he was in front of a monster.

"Can you get that thing away from me?" He shouted out, but the fear in his eyes made her laugh.

"Akira has been here longer than you have, stranger." She said breezily, smiling as she got up. She had to lean against a tree and stretch yet again before scratching her hair. The way she moved lazily reminded him strangely of Shiki - and the hair too, if not lighter.

Hanabusa scoffed. "Oh yeah?" He challenged and took a step closer but _goddamnit_ _she wasn't blushing_. She looked at him coolly, waiting. "I bet I would be a better star-watching partner than a mutt would."

She blinked, and then both her eyebrows shot up as she raised an index finger. "First," she said slowly, "that's rude. He is not a mutt, he is a beautiful God-given service dog that protects me from possible people who may rape sleeping little girls." Hanabusa stared. Was this girl real? Or was she purposefully created to agitate him in every way possible? "And secondly," she continued and her middle finger joined the index to prove her point, "since when were we stargazing buddies?"

"Well I didn't say _buddies_ -"

The look she gave him cut him off. It was the sort of "are you kidding me" torn with "who do you think you are" sort of gaze that he only received from vampires of his level - that he was raised alongside with. From his cousins, from high-ranking vampires - _not_ from human girls. Besides, weren't they suppose to melt and write poetry inspired by his icy blue eyes -

Right. She wouldn't know that.

But he was still a good looking guy, colouring aside. So how was she treating him so casually? Maybe this was a pretense, a play hard to get sort of tactic. He had to give her points for pulling it off. Or maybe...maybe she just wasn't -

He cleared his throat and spun the telescope around. He wanted to change the topic, quick. "Can your dog find Aries? And since we're in the Northern Hemisphere and it's December, I bet I can even find Perseus, at 90 and negative 35 degrees - " he stopped. Bent over the telescope and his eyes peering inside, he couldn't see anything. It was all blurry. "What the hell," he muttered, spinning it around. "Your thing is broken."

Suddenly she laughed and walked towards him. She shoved him away as she grabbed the telescope from him. Her fingers moved quickly against the knobs and he saw a smile playing on her mouth. "Knowing the location of the stars to the degree isn't very impressive if the clarity is so badly off." She said and he could just hear the smirk on her face. He stared, dumbfounded.

"Try it now, smart guy." She said with that same infuriating smile. He glared at her as he took it away brusquely from her and faced Perseus. And just like that, he could see the stars. They still looked like scattered dots but he mentally connected it in his mind. "Whatever." He muttered sullenly. How could he have forgotten to study the telescope? Wasn't he supposed to be proving his intelligence - _not_ making a further fool out of himself?

Sensing his annoyance, the smirk disappeared and she pointed towards a large knob. "You see that?" She explained, "You have to align the axis." Her fingers played with it as he leaned in, looking through the glass and she was right. "And then simply focus it." She continued but this time she had to awkwardly slip her hand under his arching body to adjust it and like she said, everything became sharper.

And of course, he was very aware of how close she was towards him as she leaned in and explained the other crap of a telescope. With his heightened senses, he could feel the heat radiating off her, the slight touch of flyaway hair and the smell of...nothing. No perfume. Off. Just _human _smell, and coffee and blood. He found himself watching her closely and was surprised at the tone in her voice, as if she was talking about finding world peace rather than parts of a machine. Her eyes were bright and she seemed to forget about him as she went on and on, with him not hearing her at all.

Suddenly he blinked out of it and leaned back. When had she gotten so close to him? _How_?

"Uh," he cleared his throat and looked away - at anywhere that wasn't this girl who cared for useless things like _telescopes _and _stars _out of everything - and then he looked up at the sky with his naked eye. There was a pale, glowing crescent moon and for a moment, he simply stared at it. A voice in the back of his mind whispered, wondering if this girl thought the moon was beautiful as well - but he shoved that thought away. "I should get back," he said and the sudden reserved tone didn't go unnoticed, "thanks for the astronomy lesson."

She laughed, not at all offended by his sarcasm or abrupt departure. "No problem," she shrugged and turned away from him, softly murmuring, "Maybe you'll be able to find a star the next time." And despite yet another thrown-out invitation, she was obviously forgetting about him as she checked her notebook, and then aimed the telescope to a different direction. And with him still standing there, she carried on her stargazing as if she was completely alone and he was never there to begin with.

0-0

My eyes searched the skies, of something different or unusual. I was pretty sure it was all stargazer's dream of finding a new star but to this day, there was nothing. Months, years and decades would go by and I still probably would not find anything, but you could always try, right?

I found myself staring at the moon. Even with a black and white vision, the mood emitted this strange, hazy glow that made me wonder what properties that it held that made it so fuzzy. It was hard to explain. Light blurred my vision, and in darkness the lines and edges became prominent. But the moon seemed like there was a cooler, brighter shade hazing over it. Not quite gray, not quite white. Was this colour? Or maybe because it was an illuminated -

"Hey!"

I let out a shout, my knees suddenly forgetting its job as I tripped over, uh, myself. My arm instinctively shot out to grab a hold of something – oh, but not the telescope!

Needless to say, I chose to fall instead.

"Sorry, sorry!"

My dog barked.

"I didn't mean to sneak up on you, I swear!" A man claimed, both hands raised and his eyes wide. I didn't know how to describe him but light seemed pretty close. Everything about him was light. I blew the hair from my face and looked at him with an obviously irritated expression.

"What are you doing?!" I called out as I tried to breathe normally. "You don't just sneak up on people like that!" I tried to calm down my growling dog. He held a hand to me but that made Akira go ballistic. Distantly I wondered why she was so angry and suspicious today. I frowned but the man - a student here - only laughed embarrassed.

"That's true, I'm sorry." He smiled apologetically. "My name is Ichijou Takuma," he introduced himself as he held out his hand again. I watched him warily, and raised the hand that wasn't holding down on Akira's collar slowly. His hand was cool to the touch. My eyes didn't leave him as I wondered what the hell was happening: why I was suddenly meeting people.

"Misane Kaede."

0-0

A stack of folders slammed down on Hanabusa Aidou's desk. He looked up, startled, and then glared his aqua-coloured eyes at the cheery blond in front of him. "What the hell was that for, Ichijou?" He complained with a frown as his fingers flipped over the pages. It was full of doodles.

"Nothing, I was just trying to get your attention." The vampire smiled all glittery like. For someone who may possibly become Head of the Council someday, he sure didn't act like it. The entire class turned to the two blonde aristocrats who all of a sudden, decided to be loud during their last class of the night. Hanabusa's eyes slit to a glare again.

"What do you want?" He asked, his chin resting against his palm as his eyes wandered. Whatever his request was, the chances of him fulfilling it were slim to none. Takuma grinned again.

"Kaede."

"What?" He wasn't sure _why _he was in such an irritable mood. Maybe it was because despite the studying – _God I actually studied? _– he still failed at appearing smart. No, not appearing - proving. Out of everything this human could have expertise in, why did it have to be as something useless as stars? Why couldn't she be good at math, at Trigonometry? Then he could be better than her. Prove to her that he was a genius.

"It's her name," Takuma continued, "the one you saw before –"

"_What_?" Ruka turned around immediately, her pale brown eyes wide. "_That's _why you needed to leave? For a girl? Do you _want _Kaname to scold you?" She glared at him and threw a pencil across the room at her cousin which he ignored. He had shot up, palm against the table as his eyes blazed at Takuma. "You followed me?!"

Takuma blinked. "Well yeah." He didn't bother lying and behind him, Rima's eyes slid towards the two. She, like majority of the class, wanted the period to be over with and she didn't feel like handling Hanabusa's exuberance this early in the morning. She clapped her book shut. "You didn't do anything stupid, did you?" She asked in a passive tone. As amusing as it may be, she didn't want Kaname storming in and slapping Hanabusa for drinking blood from those stupid human fangirls. At least not today.

"That is so –"

Sensing his unexplained anger, Takuma laughed nervously, sweat dropping as he raised up his palms. "I didn't mean anything out of it! Besides at least now you know her name, right?"

"Who said I didn't know it before?" He said quickly and defensively.

"So there _is _a girl." Ruka said and she shot Akatsuki a look. He simply shrugged. He guessed as much but Hanabusa's business was for now, out of his control. The way everyone looked at him instead of directly at Hanabusa made him feel like he was his cousin's keeper. He sighed and fingered his already tousled hair. "He didn't do anything." But he wasn't so sure himself. His eyes rose to meet his cousin's. Hanabusa looked frustrated, he noticed immediately. "Right?"

"Of course not!"

"Then that's the end of that." Akatsuki said with a tone of finality. The teacher walked in, right on time and everyone lapsed back to uninterested silence. Hanabusa looked more glum than bored. And for the rest of the hour, he was simply doodling: stars and planets and the word _maple* _all over as if they didn't know what it meant.

* * *

Woah, guys. Thanks for all the feedback! It made my day and made me laugh hehe. Longer chappy, mildly eventful and her (forgettable?) name's revealed - there.

Reviews would be lovely :)


	4. Ignition

Chapter Four: Ignition

If there was one class I hated – which surprisingly wasn't Art – it was Math. You may be thinking, oh, but it's black and white only! Or you may agree with me like majority of the world (except perhaps Japan, here). Tiny, thin lines and complex diagrams just didn't work well with me. Grade ten Math I could handle, but right now in the eleventh grade, it was becoming more bothersome.

Because I was failing.

"But Sagawa-sensei, it's _so hard _seeing the graphs –" I began bullshitting but he gave me a look that sliced right through it.

"You're making excuses, Misane. Your teacher last year had no problem teaching you; perhaps it's more of your mental capabilities than your visual ones that are preventing you from passing this course."

My lips twitched. He basically said I was more stupid than I was blind. Fantastic. "I'm sorry." I didn't know why I was apologizing, I really didn't, but I didn't want to spend lunch talking about my 46% when there was a freshly brewed cup of black coffee waiting for me at the library. That, and books. "Is there anything I can do?"

"We're approaching examinations and perhaps it's in your best interest to invest in a tutor."

"_Invest_?" Was he not aware of the crazy prices of living in a boarding school? And now I had to pay for a tutor too?! Medical, schooling and not to mention my own parent's expenses…I was seriously starting to worry my financial status. My father was a scientist and my mother a painter...and of course, they didn't get paid as much as you think they would. Sagawa saw my devastation and an unexpected sigh left him.

"Look, I'll pull some strings for you, Misane, but exams are a week after your break. I suggest you study hard meanwhile."

I sighed, relieved and picked up my books. "Will do, sir." I bowed politely but to be honest, I wasn't going to get much better in Math. But if there was one thing I knew, it was this: the Venn diagram of the things I _should _be doing, and the things that I actually _was_ doing…was a circle.

0-0

"Get the damn door!" Hanabusa shouted, tossing a pillow across the room as he threw his arm over his eyes. His cousin on the bed next to him replied back with profanities and it was clear that neither of them had any intention of opening the Dorm doors to whoever it was knocking on the door. At last, it stopped and he allowed himself to fall back into the comfort of his bed.

Seconds later, a sleepy honey blonde appeared at his door. "I swear if you're –" Tired and crabby, he was already threatening the Vice-President when Takuma just yawned and opened up the letter. Then he froze. Hanabusa didn't see but a smile had appeared on the vampire's face as he waved the letter tauntingly, reading it out loud. "_Addressed to upperclassman Aidou Hanabusa, of Class 10-C."_

"Shut uuuup–"

"_With acknowledgement of his academic standard, an opportunity of peer tutoring is being requested. Not only would this benefit his university transcripts but –"_

He stopped listening and smothered his face against the lavender-scented satin pillow. Intent on ignoring the annoying blonde, he almost fell back to sleep when he picked up on a name.

"…_for student Misane Kaede in Grade 11 Functions tomorrow following standard Day Class dismissal._"

He shot up immediately and ran over to his desk, smacking around for paper. He grabbed the letter out of Takuma's hand and scribbled down the time before telling him he could leave. _Misane Kaede_. _That's her name_. That was the name of a failing student who he was going to show her exactly how _not _stupid he was.

0-0

I was screaming. _Screaming_.

Because holy shit did it hurt when you fell asleep with contacts on. Actually no, not pain but it was just achingly dry. I kept on swearing as I fumbled to get it out – and then _bam _the lights flashed on and I was shouting again. "Who's there?" Someone returned my death-like shrieks.

"Just turn off the lights!" I screamed back, squeezing my eyes shut as I smacked around for my sunglasses. Through a God-given miracle, this greatly blocked off the light. It didn't help with my horrible headache, but it was better. I took a deep breath and calmed down. "You do realize that closing hours were 12 hours ago, don't you?"

I was still wincing as I pulled together my stuff. Ah, shit. I was going to be late. You see? I skipped my usual routine for one day – _one day – _to study for Math and what I got were aching eyes and late arrival. Wonderful. "What time is it?" I asked quickly.

"You have two minutes until first period."

I dropped my books. I give up. I'd rather just try to rest in complete and utter darkness, in hopes that this headache would go away. I said goodbye to the custodian as I run off, and I didn't stop – using my folders as a shield so that I could _see _where I was running – until I retreated into my room, where I tore off the uniform I fell asleep in earlier. I curled up into a cocoon and slept for the rest of the day.

What felt like seven minutes but in actuality had been _ten _hours, a knock starkly woke me up. Nobody knocked on my door. Like, ever. Nobody ever needed anything from me and I was never in trouble so as soon as I heard it, I was awake. I didn't even bother throwing on proper clothing – because why _not _wear a rumpled up blouse, boxer shorts with the knee high socks still on when you answer the door?

I yawned and scratched my head along with the mess of the hair. I opened the door expecting to see perhaps one of the prefects or maybe the Headmaster himself yelling at me for ditching. Instead, that stranger from the forest was there, leaning over my door as if he was posing for an advertisement. Of doors. And brooding looks.

"You're late," he said, almost growled as his eyes narrowed at me.

"Late?" I repeated and brushed back what I could of my hair with my fingers. "For what? And what are you doing here?" More importantly, how did he find me?

Suddenly he pulled out a piece of paper and stuck it in front of my face. I leaned back because it was _that _close before snatching it out of his hands and reading it thoroughly. Then I flipped the page over. Then back. And then I handed it over to him with a puzzled expression.

"Well?" He prompted.

"Well what?" I asked slowly.

"Aren't you going to apologize?"

I gave him a look and took the paper back. "_Student Misane Kaede_," I began reciting, "_lacks the needed attention to fully and actively participates in class. Although her work is thorough and time-consuming, the overall results consistently produce failing marks in this course_." I stopped and looked up at him through my eyelashes. "I'm supposed to apologize for Sagawa-sensei for calling me slow and dumb?"

He stared at me as if I was crazy and then sighed. "I'm your tutor, and you're late." He said at last and I frowned.

"I didn't agree to a tutor though." I was the charity case blind girl with _mental capabilities_, apparently.

"Agreed?!" He repeated, with a stutter. His eyes were wide and incredulous. "This is supposed to be for _your_ benefit."

I crossed my arms. "Um," was all I could say to that. But I mean, what _do _you say when suddenly there's a stranger insisting to play a part in your life – even an insignificant one like a tutor?

"Do you have to _try _to get a 40?"

"46." I corrected immediately, receiving a withering glance from him as a response.

His eyes narrowed. "You know, I never figured you'd be a bad student," he muttered, his eyes now back to narrowing all accusingly. My lips twitched. Bad? He might as well say what he was really thinking: dumb. And I honestly wasn't…I just, you know. I didn't get the right answers too often.

"And I never thought you would be the brightest either." I retorted, his assumption bringing out my prissier nature. "What with the whole – hey!" Before I could continue, his hand wrapped around my wrist and he was dragging me out into the hallways _in my boxers _all across the entire Dorm until we reached the library on campus. With me screaming all the while, going as far as to stop moving my legs altogether but that didn't seem to stop him.

At last, he forced me down on the chair and magically conjured up math text books, placing them down on the table as I glowered up at him. "Is this real?" I said to no one in particular, looking around then back down at my pajama shorts. "This isn't actually happening," I continued, blinking. Since when did my life consist of upperclassman dragging me out in practically my underwear to study _math_?

His long, fingers – that reminded me of an artist's, I noted – pointed at a formula. "Read it." He commanded, abrasively. My eyes flickered down at the too-complex equation full of variables, roots, exponents and…then back up at my tutor.

"Okay."

His face dropped and he rolled his eyes before sitting down next to me. "Do you understand?"

"Without a doubt." Not at all.

He frowned and he stared at me for a long while, as if he wasn't sure whether or not I was telling the truth. Hint: I wasn't. Then he sighed and flicked a few page back. "Alright," he said and he sounded tired – more tired than me – as he explained the first concept. But despite the even, strangely _nice _sound of his voice, I actually didn't get sleepy even taking in consideration the material he was reading. I needed coffee though, and he allowed me to at least get that - not go back to change for proper clothing, but coffee seemed to be okay.

"Do you understand now?" He asked, half an hour later.

"No." There was no point lying, he would test me on it later anyway. He sighed, hitting his face before reaching out to drink my coffee and slamming it back down. And then he began again, his fingers leading the way to the written text. I groaned because although it made sense, it was still too much information and I didn't _feel _like learning at the moment. And I sighed too, taking another sip of the coffee.

"Kaede?" I looked at him. "Pay attention."

But when my eyes stayed on him longer, I panicked. I was panicking – panicking because as I stared at the man next to me, open and leaning towards me as he followed the text with a point of his fingers…his eyes were down. His eyes were down, and the blackness of his lashes should have altered something but _despite _how long I stared, that one thing remained the same: those eyes of his were not entirely grey.

* * *

Partially-abandonned fic, but hey I found this waiting on Doc Manager so why not?

Reviews would be lovely (and very, _very _motivating!) :)


	5. Stars, Ablaze

Chapter Five: Stars, Ablaze

This was really irritating me. Everywhere I looked: it was varying shades of black, white and grey. When my tutor left, whom I _still _didn't know the name of, I didn't review the work like he recommended. Sure it made sense as he walked me through it, but as soon as he left me alone it was like I turned dyslexic.

So instead, I dashed back into my room and pulled on a pair of proper pants. Thank God no one was around, most of the Day class students preferred to go out of town as soon as school was over and returned as the Night class made their dramatic transition. I've never been to one before, but I assumed it would be awkward…what with me jealous of their schedule. Then again my tutor was a part of the Night class and I still wasn't quite sure what made _him _so special that he was accepted, except maybe his intelligence.

That was sort of a deal breaker for me.

But that was beside the point. The big deal was that my tutor's eyes were _not _grey and I didn't exactly know what colour it was because…well, because I had nothing to compare it to. So I pulled out my dimmed laptop and actually typed in _colours _in Google but they were still all varying shades of grey.

That was not the colour.

Holy shit I said _colour_. This was actually a huge deal. His eyes were not grey – the moon was not grey – and before I got too excited…

Screw it.

I screamed into my pillow and after one, lung-killing but much needed output, I threw on some _more _proper clothing and grabbed my telescope. Forget about math homework, I was going to go do my own little research. I gave a quick peek out of the window and there was enough light to blur out my vision so I assumed it was nothing beyond early evening. But as soon as I left the Dorms and crossed over to the forest, a high-pitch wail pretty much shattered my ear drum. "_Holy crap_ –"

What was _that_?

(It was the Attack of the Fangirls, that was what.)

I really _should have _known better. I tried to flee the scene, and I really _would have _but walking right by me was my all too familiar tutor was in the midst of the crowd, laughing loudly – the loudest I've ever seen him – as he made shooting noises and pointing his finger at the maniac girls.

This was _not _the guy who was teaching me Functions less than half an hour ago.

But as soon as I stopped and stared, so did he and he was staring at me with his eyes – eyes without the slightest smudge of colour. I felt like a deer in headlights – but in complete and unbiased honesty, so did he. He opened his mouth but I felt my face heat up with embarrassment – but from what, I didn't know. I scrambled with the strap of my telescope as I tried to casually walk away to my little section of the forest. I didn't know why, but the fact that I didn't hear anyone coming after me left me…disappointed.

I didn't stop to set up camp there, I just continue walking – wanting to get back to my dorm and just take it easy but then quite _literally _out of no where, a horse came smashing into me.

"Lily – stop, stop!"

I was screaming.

Not because I was nearly trampled by a huge, white horse _but because it trampled my telescope_. "No!" I shouted hysterically, "no, no...no, no, God no."

"I'm _so so _sorry!" A girl with short brown hair said, eyes wide and genuinely apologetic but I couldn't spare her any thing to lessen her guilt. I was too busy hovering over the fragments of the telescope – the lens was clearly cracked through, the tube dented and the screws of the adjustments were nowhere in sight. How could I possibly buy a new telescope – and even if I could, what was I suppose to use meanwhile? _No, no, no this is not happening_.

"It's – it's okay," my voice was shaking as I gathered up the remains, finding as much bolts as I can. I couldn't lie. I felt the sting of tears behind my eyes. I _wouldn't _cry but...this was upsetting. I took a deep breath. The girl I remembered now as the prefect tried to calm down the famed, angry horse but it didn't stop stomping around until the other prefect, Kiryu came. He gave one glance at my pathetic self scrambling to salvage what I can, and at Cross and announced that he was bringing it back to the stable.

"I really _am _sorry," she said for the tenth time, her incredibly large eyes even wider, "I'll pay for the repair -"

Now any sane person would thank them, and take the offer but my lack of social cues of accepting money from others prevented me from doing so. "It's fine," I said again, hoping she wouldn't comment on my shaky voice, "I'll just...don't worry about it, okay? I'll just -"

"Kaede!"

We both turn around. "Aidou!" She stammered, her guilty expression turning to scold. "You're supposed to be in class!"

But he didn't spare her a glance, and instead he was staring right at me. My heart fell several stories when they were the same pale shade of grey, momentarily distracting me from my grieving. Weren't they just a colour an hour, maybe a bit longer ago? Or was I just seeing things – but that would be impossible because the colour blind couldn't start imagining colour, especially considering the fact I was never exposed to an irregular like that before. "Are you okay?" He asked me quickly, placing a hand underneath my elbow and took the main body of the telescope from my hands.

"What?" I said, dumbfounded and his eyebrows furrowed.

"I heard you shouting and -" he stopped when he realized what he was holding, "this looks...different."

I couldn't help it. I whimpered as I tried to take it back from him. My precious baby – the sole thing that survived years here at the school and now it was...this. I sighed, rubbing my face and then flicking my hair back tiredly. "Yeah," I said dully, "it is." I looked up through my eyelashes at the man of lighter shades in front of me and I winced. I didn't _blame _him or anything but...keeping distance away from people who suddenly appeared from my life seemed like a good idea.

He didn't let go of the tarnished telescope and I just sigh. There was no point in trying to repair it, and seeing it in the corner of my room would just be depressing. I let go of him and muster up an unconvincing smile. "Well, bye." And then I walk, and walk until I didn't stop the feeling of _his_ stare left me.

But it didn't.

This time, he followed behind me. I felt his hand around my arm. "Wait, Kaede -"

"Why are you calling me that?" I asked, what little part of me that I was trying to hold together cracking. The nervous, grieving part shifted into annoyance and hatred of...everything. There was irritation in my tone. We weren't close – we weren't friends and I wasn't in the greatest mood at the moment. And since I couldn't take it out on a horse, I would take it out on someone instead – namely him. "I don't even know you. I don't even know your name."

He flinched visibly.

And then I felt bad. I rubbed my face again, wanting the day to be over with. I felt his hand slip off my elbow and I wanted to apologize. But I couldn't turn back now so I just continued walking but as soon as I left the shade of the forest, I heard his voice – loud, deep and tone so smooth that it suddenly made me aware of what _sound wa_s.

"It's Aidou," he said and his voice was far away, echoing back at me, "Aidou Hanabusa."

* * *

Look at that - there are still readers! Hehehe. Happy author, here.

Thanks for reading! Reviews would be lovely :)


	6. All That Sparks and Crackles

Chapter Six: All that Sparks and Crackles

When I was holed up in my room, cocooned in darkness for the morning after _the incident, _I didn't expect a knock on the door. I wasn't the type of person people checked up on – rather the type of person forgotten about or assumed to be constantly be there. But when I opened the door with the blankets huddled around me, I didn't see a person. Instead, I saw a box.

Curiously, I folded the blanket between my arm and freed up space at my hands to take the package as I suppressed a grin. _Don't get your hopes up, Kaede! _If the shape of the box wasn't a dead giveaway, the tag was -

I blinked and rubbed my eyes. What the hell?

_Aidou Hanabusa_.

I seriously thought about leaving it out there and hoping that someone would walk by and return it in the mail or whatever, make it clear that I had not opened it or even received it. But I was being bratty and spoiled and...well, playing hard to get which I knew from movies that it only made the chase much more enticing. I didn't want to play games.

I took the package inside and took great care opening it. I didn't know why, but from the way Aidou (it felt strange giving the guy a name, but oh well) spoke, the way he carried himself – he seemed very privileged. Whole other class sort of privileged. I expected another pricy, flashy telescope until I remembered that there was no reason for him to go such lengths for me. Who was I, after all, but a failing student?

Yet I still had this idea of a cold, shiny gift in my mind so when I opened it and saw the shockingly familiar telescope – a new one, but the same nonetheless: same brand, same model - I had to bite down on a smile, I failed. As soon as I saw the bubble wrap and the light tube rimmed in black, with the smooth, matte knobs, I laughed. And squealed.

It was perfect.

My hands ran down the length of the telescope, admiring how unblemished it was but familiar in my hands. I easily assemble everything together in record time and the grin on my face made realize that yes, cheeks could be quite sore. I took a stepped back and admired the handiwork, aimed directly out the window. It was dark enough that you could see tiny flickers of light out, and I was sure that if I were to go outside the stars would reveal itself in the way I had grown attached too after so many years of looking up at the night skies. And because this telescope was new - everything would be sharper, clearer. I could imagine how clear the skies would look over the brand new glass lens -

I stopped.

Wait.

I threw a glance at the telescope I was keeping a constant hand on, as if it was a dream that may disappear if I let it go - and flinched.

I shouldn't be accepting this. Aidou's gift was completely unnecessary. I remembered the way he called out his name, how distant and forlorn it sounded – there was no reason he should be giving me this, and I didn't deserve to accept it. I groaned, messing up my hair. I knew I would eventually go with my conscious so even though I was keeping up a string of profanity, I was already packing it away. "Stupid, f[u]cking conscience...can't let me a selfish bastard for once in my life, stupid parents raising me right..." I muttered as I placed everything back in it's compartment before sealing up the tab.

I was pouting by the time I threw on clothing, but I didn't let myself procrastinate returning because soon my will power would crumble and I would succumb to it...when I really knew I shouldn't. It took me less than five minutes between my decision to give it back to Aidou and walking out the door with a sweatshirt thrown over my pajama bottoms.

"Now, how the hell am I supposed to return this..."

0-0

"Is he coming to class today?" Souen Ruka asked, crossing her arms with a frown on her lovely face as she threw a disdainful glance at her cousin's door. Akatsuki sighed, his hands through his windswept bronze hair as his lighter eyes lingered over his room. He didn't know what exactly happened last night after Hanabusa stormed off the path into the forest, but whatever it was either pissed him off or frustrated him because he refused to come to class and instead, went the opposite way back to the dorms.

That morning when he returned, he found his blonde haired, volatile cousin still in his now crumpled up uniform on his bed, looking at his fingers that were playing on something that looked like a part of a monocle. But when he asked him what that – and the pile of junk at the corner was – Hanabusa simply turned to face the wall and continued his brooding. By the condition of it, he assumed it was just another piece of junk that Kaname destroyed. It wasn't until early in the morning when the sun was at its worse that he suddenly whipped up and started to work on something, some repair work and Akatsuki didn't pay him too much attention – just smothering his head with pillows to block out the noise.

"Probably not, we shouldn't wait up." He said as he slipped his hands into his pockets and faced Shiki and Rima's blank blue gazes. They nodded at each other before leaving the darkness of their Dorm to the warm orange light outside.

Back inside his room, the abandoned job was still strewn about. Hanabusa had discarded his white uniform jacket and vest, but his black dress shirt and tie was still loosely hanging down his neck. Several hours ago, he gave up his attempt of straightening out the dented tube and instead called up one of his father's servant to buy the exact copy and have it sent to Miss Misane Kaede. He wasn't sure that she had received it yet – although with the tip, she should have – and it frustrated him to no end.

After all how _dare _she snap at him? What gave her the right to be mad at him – when he had done nothing wrong but offer her help? The gift would show _her _who was the bad guy, and then she would feel so guilty and he would be right all along. His ego would be fine, and then he could put the entire encounter behind him. He didn't want to see those hazel eyes staring at him as if he had just broken her heart.

Because he didn't. For once, Aidou Hanabusa had not broken a girl's heart and she did not have the right to look as if he did.

His fingers curled up and tightened, nails digging into his palm as his photographic memory brought back the image of a girl with mahogany hair, and hazel eyes, soft features that weren't striking nor captivating – but completely average. But when she talked about stars, her entire face lit up and there _was _beauty in that. But it was worse when the light went out of her eyes, and that little sound she made when she saw the messed up telescope.

He groaned, messing up his hair.

He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about Kaede. He slumped on his desk, the side of his face pressed up against the wooden desk as he now stared at the lens – no more than a piece of rimmed glass, really. He flipped it over and under his fingers, the light catching and diverging it accordingly. He sighed.

"You are an enigma, Kaede," he muttered quietly. He flinched when he remembered her scold of referring her to her given name, but Hanabusa had always felt that that Japanese rule was beneath him, and the only thing that stopped him from referring to other girls like that was because it _meant _something to them. But he only wanted to call this girl Kaede, because it felt right the way it rolled off his tongue, the way it sounded to his ears.

Somehow, hours passed. That tended to happen. Time slipped by fast when presented the opportunity of near immortality – of vampirism – and of being a genius. His thoughts ran wild and before he even realized it, it took the reflection of the lens to realize his eyes were beginning to glow red. He felt a gentle prod on his lower lip, surprised to feel his fang skim over it. He sat up straighter until his mind started catching up with his senses.

He smelled her.

Like cold air, outdoors and...and coffee.

He whipped around, waiting for a knock on the door – but instead, a pebble hit his window and he shot up, throwing the wide, arched windows open. "What the -"

"You!" She called out, her eyes wide and bright as she pointed towards him accusatory, one hand cupped around her mouth. "Take your...your gift back!"

"What?" He called back out, although he could fair well hear her. He saw the way her eye twitched in annoyance before she looked around – probably for a bigger rock to throw right at him. "Wait!" He said, "I'm coming down!"

He saw a flutter of panic flashed across her face and the way she opened her mouth to protest – but it was already too late. He slipped the glass into his back pocket, shoved up his sleeves to his elbow and jumped over the window sill – and didn't even bother with the pretence of climbing down. He landed silently on his feet with a gentle bent of his knee before he turned to face a frozen girl.

"What the hell are you?" She asked in disbelief, "a cat?"

It was strange. The idea that he was a vampire had never even crossed his mind until now. She didn't make him feel like another race, like an aristocrat – or even like an Aidou. He was simply Hanabusa, even if she didn't acknowledge him as so. "What were you saying before?" He asked, diverting her attention. She still seemed skeptic but instead, she fumbled as she bent over to shove a box into his waiting hands.

Distractedly, he noticed that she was wearing flannel pants.

With polar bears on them.

When his cyan eyes flashed up to her more greenish ones, her outfit made a little more sense. "Nice pants," he commented, not taking the box but she pressed it closer to him.

"Take it!" She said quickly. "I'm not -"

"How did you get past through the gate?"

"Don't worry about it -"

"Are you some sort of -"

"Stop being such a pain and take back your goddamn -"

"It's yours. I owe it to you."

"No, you _don't," _she said and seeing he was about to retaliate, she _actually covered his mouth_. With her own hands. He was sure that never in his life, anyone ever touched him that way – and feeling her soft, warm hands against his lips made his fangs protrude, and it took every ounce of self control to shrink them back, to manage the sudden thirst. But even stronger than that was the shock that ran down his spine, around his knees. His eyes widened and his breathing hitched but she didn't realize any of this – the touch didn't affect her at all.

"Can you let me finish?" She said impatiently. "It wasn't you that did anything. I should say sorry for snapping, okay? So just take this back. I don't want it. Thank you, but no." And then she drew back her hand hesitantly and finally realized the way his eyes were slightly too wide, staring too hard. She bent down to pick up the large, bulky package and shifted it towards him.

Seeing that he was now firmly holding it, she allowed herself one last sigh before she waved at him and left, wondering why he wouldn't say anything. He probably wasn't used to gifts being handed back, she suspected. He seemed like the heart breaker type that would be the one returning little trinkets back, not the other way around.

And it was staring at the retreating figure of this human girl, barely accepted among the commoners, that Hanabusa realized something.

Firstly, she was pretty. And not in the way Ruka was beautiful or Rima was lovely, but in the way that grew on him, the way that he was constantly discovering little bits of her appearance. The sort of pretty you notice gradually, until it was scarred into your mind.

And secondly, he realized that he was hungry. Starving. Lusting for blood – and only hers.

* * *

So I at last acknowledge the fact that Hanabusa is in fact, a vampire. A bit late with that - but oh well!

Thank you so much everyone for reading this! The idea is starting to grow on me, and so is Kaede's character so I do hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Reviews would be lovely :)


	7. The Supernovas

Chapter Seven: The Supernovas 

"What the – what are you doing, Hanabusa?" Akatsuki groaned as he forced his eyes open. It was bright outside, yet his cousin was there pulling on his tie as he rummaged through the mess on his bed. The side of the room that he occupied was once covered in trash, that were disturbingly mementos of Kaname, was now covered in a books – text books, compilations of essays, anthologies and literature – and finally, he pulled out a Grade 11 Principles of Functions. Akatsuki rubbed his eyes, wondering why he kept that book when Hanabusa had finished learning that several years ago.

"I have to tutor -"

Immediately this caught the cousin's attention and Akatsuki sat up straighter, slowly and tiredly but up nonetheless. "Whatever it is you're pulling," he said carefully, "you should stop."

Hanabusa's face paled for a moment and then he laughed, falsely shy as he touched his tousled blonde hair. "What makes you think I'm pulling anything?"

Akatsuki narrowed his amber eyes. "It's that Misane girl, isn't it? Don't you remember what Kaname said what will happen the next time you -"

"But I'm not doing anything!" He cried out and started towards the door. "Why do you think that -"

" - You're leaving at 2 in the afternoon when we don't have classes for five more hours just because you _need to volunteer_?" Akatsuki asked rhetorically and Hanabusa flinched, hearing the obvious suspicion that went along with that statement. But how could he possibly explain that he enjoyed this girl's company just because she made him forget the vampire world he had grown up in? Made him forget that he was the heir to the Aidou name, that he was Kuran Kaname's right hand man, that in several years – maybe months, even – he would be thrust into the centre of vampire affairs?

This one human girl could ramble on about her stupid stars and constellations and he would not hear a single word of it but somehow, she captured his attention all at once. It didn't make any sense but he was willing to just go with it. And he couldn't say any of this because in theory, it sounded ridiculous and he couldn't even imagine how awful it would sound out loud. So instead, he said, "that sounds about right" before he left faster than another word could be spoken.

Unsurprisingly he had to sneak his way into the main buildings, seeing that it was also the time most of the students were leaving their final classes. He scaled walls, cut corners, hid behind pillars and walls before he arrived at the Sun Dormitory. And in the exact same way she drew his attention a day ago, he found a pebble and tossed it up at where her room was – and it wasn't very hard to find it. He knew that she would have the most secluded room with a view, and he could just imagine the telescope that would be cracked through that window space in that colourless room.

The window rattled as it opened, and she looked out of it, her long hair falling past her shoulders. And before she had the mind to look down, she squinted from the light and her face twisted up before she shook her head and looked down, seeing a familiar light silhouette amidst the already bright surroundings.

"Oh God, it's you," he heard her say and she was about to close the window before -

"Wait, Kaede!"

Her annoyance won and she opened the window again. "What did I say about that?" She exclaimed and then remembering where she was, she lowered her voice. "And what is this, Romeo and Juliet? Get out of here -"

"I climbed down for you, and I think you should exchange the same courtesy!"

"No!"

"Kaaaaede~"

"Shut up!" She groaned but there wasn't a feeling of settlement the way she dipped back into her room, and in seconds, he saw the girl jogging out with that same hoodie covering her. She frowned when she saw him. "Was one of the parts missing?" She asked reluctantly, hands buried deep in the pockets. Her eyes seemed more green than brown these days, although he still detected hints of it – making it more gold and amber, than ivy. Had it always been like that, or had he just grown more keen to her physical appearance? He wasn't completely sure but he didn't exactly like the way his throat dried up and tightened. He was just thankful that her hair concealed her neck, her sleeves well past her wrist. "Well?" She prompted.

"Do you know what time is this?"

"Time for you to get a watch," she said but despite the flat tone, a smile played at her mouth as if this was some sort of inside joke. He just stared.

"No, it's actually type for math," he said. In a split second, he realized that he hadn't been smiling lately – so cue the boyish grin. Her own smile slipped and she took a step back...before running back into the dorm. "Hey!" He shouted, chasing after her but she was already ahead of him and slammed the door behind her. He was prepared to smash it down...until he heard a wave of giggles and a chorus of sing-song high pitches crying out his name.

"Idol, it's idol!"

He groaned.

_You won this round, Kaede. _

0-0

"So this is her, hm?" Kuran Kaname's garnet coloured eyes gazed expressionlessly at the girl asleep in front of him despite the library setting that Takuma had pointed him towards. The blonde, excited Ichijou was behind him now, along with Ruka who was staring at her with puzzlement.

"She's a bit plain," she commented, not taking care with her volume to not wake her up. The girl's nose wrinkled slightly and she tilted her head to the other side but otherwise remained asleep. He suspected she had been asleep some time late enough that the caretakers of the campus didn't bother watching over – only assuming that she was of the Night class. Her head was rested on her arms, her neck exposed as her hair fell over one side of her shoulder. His eyes flickered at the slender curve of the neck and then back behind him.

"You don't think he's foolish enough to do anything again, right?" Ruka asked, eager to get an acknowledgement out of Kaname but he remained stoic. There were no bite marks, no lingering scent of Hanabusa on her and he had nothing to worry for. And even if Aidou had some human plaything, as long as he didn't drink her blood – Kaname didn't see a valid reason why he should be involved. He began leaving the library, the two closely behind him.

"He got slapped last time," Takuma murmured, oblivious to the fact of how degrading that may be and brought up the topic with ease. Ruka's face twisted up. Even if she wasn't blindingly loyal to Hanabusa the way Akatsuki was, she didn't relish in any serious harm done to her cousin – only minor things. Repercussions against him by hands of Kaname nerved her, even if a part of her knew that Hanabusa needed that reminder sometimes. Even if it was Kaname's way to keep him in check and save him from harsher punishments by the Council.

"That's a no then," she snapped, wanting to gear the subject towards something else. She walked closer to Kaname, although she did not touch him. "Shall I -"

She stopped when she saw Akatsuki standing in front of them, leaning against a window sill with his arms crossed and an inscrutable expression on his face. Kaname's eyes slid towards him but he continued on his way with not so much as a nod but a polite lingering glance whereas Takuma grinned, sparkles galore before he turned and left as well. It was only Ruka that hesitated, that stopped. "Don't you have class?" She asked coolly.

"And don't you have better things to do than involve yourself in Hanabusa's business?"

Instead of flinching, her light eyes narrowed. "You know it's not that black and white. With everything happening in the senate, we need to prove that -"

"Yes, I know. I've heard it a thousand times." She knew that if times were less serious, he would roll his eyes but those caramel coloured eyes of his were flat and hard. "That the Senate wants to disband the Night class because it is making no progress, and that any event would mean Kaname's word would be put at stake and this whole charade would be dismantled, but there are other opportunities you would have to be close to Kaname _without _the Night class whereas -"

"Whereas what?" She dared him to continue. Too fast this conversation became serious and Akatsuki didn't seem to notice it himself until Ruka stopped him. He tore his gaze away but she didn't stop there, infuriated that she would even bring up her affections towards the pureblood in such trivial matters like this. "Whereas Hanabusa won't find other flimsy human girls to capture his interest for few seconds?"

Akatsuki's face shifted again and he stood up straighter. He seemed to want to say something, opening his mouth but he changed his mind. With just the slightest shake of his head, he left her.

And although she wasn't the only one curious about Hanabusa's curiosity towards a simple human, she was the only one out of the two of them that did not seem to know that Hanabusa had a reasonable explanation for everything he did.

0-0

They were like fine strands of silk beneath his fingers, he realized. Strands and locks of a dark red that slipped easily between his fingers despite the slight wave.

Hanabusa's glacier coloured eyes – constantly shifting between greens and blues – examined the girl left behind in the library. He heard that the Dorm President and the Vice both dropped by, along with his cousin and wondered what they did, or why they paid him such attention. They never did before, not until he made a mistake – and he had done nothing wrong. Yet. But seeing her asleep, seeing her still and hearing her soft breathing drew him in. And slowly, ever so slowly, his lips parted and mouth opened wider, his fangs growing until -

No.

He stopped short of her neck and shut his mouth, shut his eyes too. He stayed closed to her, enough to feel her warmth, to hear her breathing, to hear her heartbeat. His fist was so tight he was sure that his nails left crescents in his hands but he needed that control. Slowly, he leaned back and stared at her.

He wanted to drink her blood, to feel the warmth of the liquid in his mouth and feel satisfied – truly satisfied – and bury his hands in her hair, hold her close and see her hazel eyes flutter close as she -

And he was getting distracted.

Before he could regret his choice, he kicked her chair.

And she shot up, almost falling over before she looked at him wildly, eyes huge and breathing raced. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She demanded in a harsh whisper and then she looked around and realized it was completely dark around her. She deflated. "Oh."

"So you ditch tutor, but come and study anyways?"

"There was nothing else to do," she said quickly and realizing her confession, she paused before she sighed. She shook her hair between her fingers, looking up at him through a single winced eye tiredly. "What time is it?"

"A little before ten," he told her.

"Great," she said as she began gathering her things, "just great. Got nothing done but more nap times."

"I offered -"

"Mhm," she cut him off but seeing that he had nothing better to do, he pulled out a chair and sat on it, leaning towards her and opening up the text book to where she kept a piece of loose leaf paper. "I'll help you," he said quietly despite the fact no one else is there. She stared at him and slowly, she drew closer to him, her eyes never leaving his. He wondered if she knew how her eyes looked, how the colours practically disappear and blend together in the moonlight and all he could see was the dark pupil with the slightest pale gold behind. Slowly and softer than he could ever imagine, she said:

"But I want to sleep."

His eye twitched and then he stood up, done with this human girl who annoyed him to no end. "Fine, whatever," he called out over his shoulder, not minding his volume as he flung his arm in the air. "Good luck failing in life!" He added before he allowed the door slamming behind him – not missing the sound of her bright laughter behind him, following him even when he was back in the hallway...

And face to face with Kuran Kaname.

"Kaname," he said, careful to add the respectful -_sama_ but he ignored him, his eyes flickered past Hanabusa and at the library.

"Don't do anything you'll regret," he said lightly, his eyes smiling and despite his serious intent, he gave him a deceiving but somehow genuine smile. He left the aristocrat vampire with shivers down his back.

"God, he's scary," Hanabusa muttered. No one but Kaname had that affect on him – that eagerness for approval but that bitterness all at once.

And then he blinked.

And then Hanabusa laughed.

Everyone, but Kaname – the pure blood vampire, feared by all – and Kaede, the girl known to no one but him.

* * *

I am in such a writer's rut (not a block, I don't believe in that) where I am not happy with anything I write. But gotta dish out something once in awhile. Plus March break is over so here it is! I hope you enjoyed and as always, reviews would be lovely :)

P.S. What do you guys thing of another Kaname/OC or Zero/OC fanfic? I have way too many time on my hands, so if it's something you're interested in - do spare a line or two :)


	8. Constellations to Form

Chapter Eight: Constellations to Form

" - and that's the domain and range," Aidou concluded as I stared at his equation and each carefully set out steps blankly.

"Okay."

"Do you understand?"

"Yes."

His light eyes bore into mine for several seconds too long and my obliviousness must have been obvious because he called my bluff and wrote up another example for me to try and I stammered up immediately at the first step. He sighed, and once again, pulled his chair even closer to me so that his breath was almost on my face, his arm behind my chair as the pencil in his hand directed the steps for the third time – but something about it just didn't click in my mind, and I couldn't commit it to memory. They didn't _make sense_.

"Maybe you should drop a level," he commented dubiously, obviously confused at how _I _was confused. I was sure that never once in his lifetime he had been stuck.

"I am at the lowest level to be dropped at," I told him, throwing him a glance and he sighed, leaning back in the chair and giving me some breathing space.

After my obvious failed attempts at self-learning, I gave in and graciously accepted his offer to help. And as much as I may try to deny it, he was smart. Aidou Hanabusa was smart. He was not all appearance and charms, but brains too. Although his mood fluctuated from out going to cold in a snap of a finger, I breezed by this developing bipolar because...well, because I was in desperate need of a math tutor. And seeing that every time I even attempted to ask someone else, they would just look at me with those _aw she's blind _eyes and I would slink off.

He told me to study the steps again and look over his work, and for a second I do. That tiny dedication gave him the chance for his eyes to wander, his chin resting upon an upturned palm as he looked around with a bored expression. My eyes looked up, searching his and hoping to find colour – but they were the same, lighter gray and disappoint dropped in my stomach. I looked back down and he turned to me. "Something wrong?"

"Life."

He gave me one of those looks that I knew meant he was trying to figure out whether or not I was just being exaggerate or nakedly honest and he must have decided upon the first because he made a sound as he sat up and leaned closer. "So, now do you understand?"

"Completely."

"For God's sake, Kaede, if you don't -"

"Misane," I corrected automatically. He gave me an annoyed look.

"I'll call you whatever I want," he said, sounding every bit as spoiled I assumed him to be.

"And if I just go around screaming about Hanabusa?" I countered and to my surprise, a genuinely pleased smile lit his face.

"I would love that."

I frowned. "And the implications that follow -"

"Look at that, you used a long word."

"Oh shut up, _Hanabusa_," I said, obviously joking but that same smile tugged at the corners of his lips and somehow his eyes seem even lighter, brighter. Not quite gray, but not quite the same as before.

"I like the sound of that, Kaede," he said in a light, care free tone with that same hint of a smile on his face. He turned back down, facing the book but it did not hide the smile at all. And I stared at that smile, unable to match it up with the over-the-top one he had given to all those girls during the transition. It seemed to suit him more, I thought, not _too _happy and just with the right touch of sincerity. It was not a smile meant to impress others, but because of one self's own contentment.

I supposed that was the first day I started calling him Hanabusa.

0-0

Hanabusa was smoothly setting up the telescope by the time I arrived with Akira by the collar. I looked at him curiously. For someone who had just started one or two weeks ago, he was surprisingly efficient. He learned quickly, when he knew exactly what he _should _ be learning. Before I could wave, his head snapped up already. "Hey there," he called out breezily, not paying too much attention to me.

In the several days I have began talking to Hanabusa regularly, I've come to the conclusion that his attention was flitting. He was observant, but it took a lot to really capture it for too long. How we are friends – associates, actually – I am still not sure yet but for four days, he had been tutoring me in the afternoon followed by late night stargazing with the telescope he had bought. I wished it was something of my own, but this would do for now.

I still had to point things out to him, but sometimes – often – I wouldn't even think. I would just talk about nothing significant, about stories of the stars, about why it was named that way or just about the past times I've seen them. Sometimes we would argue. He said it looked like a mess, I said that it looked like its respected shape. Sometimes we didn't talk at all, and he would just fidget with it.

Never once had I thought he was my boyfriend.

Even sitting out in the laid out blanket, leaning back against Akira's furry body and staring at him as he looked through the telescope as opposed to the sky, I didn't feel any romantic interest – and I said this honestly. I saw him stiffen visibly, before turning to me. "What's wrong?"

"Are we friends?" I asked. I didn't know when it had happened, when that conversation barrier broke between us but I found myself talking to him much easier, without thinking about it or preparing myself beforehand. He blinked, the action so starling normal that it made me distracted momentarily.

"I think we are," he said almost haughtily, as if it was such a huge deal on my part. I laughed, knowing that this bravado of his was mostly a facade, as much as the blind girl role was mine. It was a cover that was so easy to fall into that I forgot sometimes that I wasn't really disabled – colour blindness was nothing to _real _and complete blindness. And his awareness of his wealth was not the same thing as others' obsession and submersion in it. But even considering this, there was something else that I felt Hanabusa had a reason to feel privileged for, like another status I didn't know about yet.

"Huh," I said thoughtfully, looking back up at the skies. There was something relaxing about being underneath this vast, black space – lit up by clutters of bright lights, something about the cool air, something about the way I heard Hanabusa noisily sat down beside me.

"Something wrong?" He asked distractedly again, but I wasn't paying him too much attention.

"Nope." Nothing was wrong...just strange. A moment passed before he said anything else.

"Tell me a story," he said softly and I blinked, rolling my head to look at him before back at the sky.

"There were these seven sisters," I began although I wasn't really listening to the sound of my voice, I wasn't really thinking – I wasn't really _there_, "they were all beautiful...charming, intelligent. You know. _Those _type. Their father was a Titan god named Atlas, who held the weight of the world on his shoulders -"

"Seriously?" He interrupted.

"Well no, it's just a myth," I said, a bit irritated that he stopped me but when my eyes flickered to him, he had an apologetic smile on his face and I sighed, starting again. "As I was saying, they were just..fantastic. Crème de la crème sort of thing. They were so great that the hunter, Orion chased them around everywhere."

"Orion? We saw that before, right?"

This time, I smiled at his interruption, glad that he remembered. "Yep."

"This guy seems obsessive."

"So obsessive that Zeus took pity on the sisters, and turned each of them into doves."

"How is that supposed to help?" His voice sounded faraway too, and although we both were talking – neither of us really put too much thought too it.

"I don't know, but it sort of sucked for Atlas because since his daughters were gone, he was punished even more. Forced to carry them too, I guess."

"They're those clutter of stars?" He asked, as he pointed to a random direction.

"We call them _hoki boshi _here," I said, my eyes following the line of his arm up until the point of his fingers before turning back up at the sky, "the brush stars. But I prefer the Greek story to it."

He stopped.

"Why did you choose to tell me that story?"

"I don't know," I said honestly, "I don't know why I tell you anything. I don't know why we even talk." And I had _no _idea where that burst of truth came from. I guess somehow, somewhere along the past couple days, I lost that filter with him. But instead of being embarrassed, I just waited for him to say something – for an explanation.

"But we're friends."

I didn't respond.

Suddenly, I heard him groan as his clothing rustled and he leaned towards me. He told me that he had blonde hair – which was apparently light hair commonly associated with the attractiveness or dumbness, as ridiculous as it sounded – once but his hair looked even lighter, like a halo around it with the moonlight behind him. His eyes were light too, incredibly light but in a different way then -

Wait.

I couldn't breathe.

There, just there – the shadow of _colour_. Of a shade not quite grey, but a cooler tone. I couldn't breathe, I could only stare and he was saying something – something intensely, his eyes wide and trying to be serious but his words were like water and I couldn't really hear them. I heard his voice, but I was too busy looking at his eyes.

"They're nice."

He stopped. "What?"

I blinked, snapping out of it. "Nothing," I said quickly and suddenly I realized how close we were. I didn't notice it before – but now it was bothering me. He was too close, his face only inches from mind and he seemed to realize it too, drawing farther away. "Were you listening to a thing I was saying?"

"No," I said honestly, eyes searching his and trying to suppress that flutter of excitement. "But, Hanabusa listen -"

"Hanabusa!"

We both shot up – painfully bumping my nose against his chin. Well, more painful on my part but I couldn't help but apologize first. "Sorry!" I said immediately, seeing that he stumbled backwards, holding himself back against his palm as I stood up, staring at me before looking around for where the voice had come from. Two people appeared from out of the shadows, one with a surprised and angry expression, the other weary but curious.

"What are you doing here?" He asked them, irritated but not at all nervous as I was. I looked at their uniforms and recognized them as Night class students, not that their appearance didn't give them away. I've always heard that the Night class had attractive students, but seeing the slim girl with long, wavy light hair and the face of a 18th century socialite and another who looked like a cross between a model and a surfer – an elegant, regal one – I realized how true that statement was.

"So _this _is what you're ditching first for? To...to lie on the dirty ground?" The girl snapped, her eyes sharp and scolding. Hanabusa didn't seem at all perturbed by her accusation, only annoyed as he brushed his hair back, his eyes set in a glare.

The boy – man, really – didn't say anything. He was just staring unnervingly at me, his eyes roaming my body before settling back to Hanabusa. He sighed and seemed to relax a little. "I should've known," he said and I was surprised at how calm and smooth his tone was, "all those astronomy books you've suddenly taken an interest in..."

I raised my eyebrows and turned to Hanabusa, who now seemed flustered at what the man had said. He wouldn't look at me, his fist clenched. "Shut up, Akatsuki!" He said quickly and something about that childish behaviour softened any edge I had been feeling and I even laughed. So we weren't in trouble, and these weren't the prefects. I could deal with this.

Hanabusa on the other hand, I wasn't sure about. "Why are you guys following me – did Kaname set you up for this?" He demanded and the girl's face changed again, but not anger this time – but there was almost a frightened expression, a vulnerable one as if he approached a sensitive topic. I thought I recognized that name somewhere, but I couldn't quite place it.

"No, and he shouldn't need to. You _know _better, Hanabusa." I shouldn't be surprised that she referred him by his first name – he obviously didn't care too much about it but something about it caught me off guard nonetheless.

"Maybe I should go." I offered but his eyes snapped to me, and immediately he reached out and held my arm. "Wait -"

"Don't you have a curfew anyway?" The girl asked, but she didn't sound bitter or haughty. She wasn't angry at me, there was nothing personal about the comment – just a statement. I didn't think any teenage girl could pull that off until now.

"Look at that," I said glancing down at a non-existent watch, "I do." Usually at a time like this, I would pack up my telescope and go – but I realized that nothing here belonged to me for once, except Akira. "Come on, let's go," I said as I ruffled his fur collar. Akira was growling, barring his teeth. Strange. I tried to soothe him as I took Akira away, but the dog was insistent. I didn't say bye to Hanabusa, and I didn't need to because he was following _right after me_. "You don't have to go," he was saying but I was stubbornly getting out of the forest, leading an angry and irritated dog behind me, "they were just -"

"You have class to go to," I said, careful not to sound angry or hurt because I knew it would only make questions arise. And I _wasn't _angry or hurt, but I also thought it was the smart move to let him handle everything. Did that make me a coward? I'm pretty sure but... "I'll see you later, bye."

"Tomorrow?" He asked, letting distance between us and I was brought back to what felt like months ago – when he first told me his name. Soft voice, carried to the wind and eyes I knew that were intent on me.

"Sure." Why did he sound so _unsure_? I mean, it was only four days since we kept up this routine...but it was four days in a row.

"See you, Kaede."

I smiled, waving – but I caught a glimpse of the frowning girl behind him, and suddenly I wasn't so sure if I would see him after all.

* * *

The happy times are rolling.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! I'm so glad there's people reading this :') Reviews would be lovely.


	9. The Comet (I)

Chapter Nine: The Comet (I)

"What?" Hanabusa stammered, "why do we have to go to _that_?"

"You know why," Ruka snapped, frowning as she crossed her arms. She impatiently tapped her foot against the marble floors, waiting for her two cousins to finish preparing. "The limo will be arriving soon." She called out louder, seeing only the orange haired man looking back from the door of the Dorm to the door of his room. He slammed his fist against the door.

"Come on, Hanabusa! Your father is going to be there."

"I don't want to go!"

"Tsukiko will be waiting for you," Akatsuki reminded but he didn't respond. "She's going to be upset if you're not there."

"She won't mind," Hanabusa said but he didn't seem convinced. The last time he had seen her was during the Summer Solstice late June, and although it was her decision not to enrol in Cross Academy, he knew that she still missed not having him around. It was an abrupt change of having a tutor in their homes – along with his cousins – during his entire childhood to seeing each other months at a time. "I'll see her during the break anyway."

Ruka's face crinkled up. "That's two weeks away!" She told him, hearing his excuse from the foot of the stairs. "Come on, let's go – Rima and Shiki are already there."

Akatsuki was surprised to hear this. "Shiki's coming?" He tried not to frown. "I thought that Aidou was only inviting pro-Monarchy families," he muttered quietly. With the growing tension between pro-Council and pro-Monarchy testing Kaname's rule, Akatsuki had suspected that this soiree was intended for the aristocrats to get together and talk without arousing suspicions.

Hanabusa peaked out from the door. "Is Kaname and Takuma coming as well?"

Ruka's eyes brightened slightly at the opening. "They should be arriving later, but your father is expecting us – _now_."

He leaned back, considering this. He supposed one night out would be fine, and Kaede seemed a bit reluctant last night anyway. He went back into his room, changing quickly into his sweater vest and tucking in his tie before he grabbed a coat. "I'll meet you in the front in ten minutes." And much faster than either of them had ever believed, he disappeared out the door.

Scribbling out a note, he sneaked back into the girl's Sun Dormitories – something he had gotten rather good at – and left a sticky note on Kaede's door before he slipped back out.

0-0

Hanabusa stared at the wine glass as he swished the red liquid back and forth. His eyes flickered up the dimly lit ballroom, made more personal and intimate with its candlelight, soft piano and violin in the background and heavy red velvets that decorated the large space. He heard the soft murmurs and musical laughter of the aristocrat vampires he had been exposed to his entire life. And it was boring him.

Somewhere, Kaede was perhaps sleeping out under the skies, feeling the cool breeze and waiting for the first frost to arrive. He could imagine her hazel eyes searching up the black skies, seeing no colour but all the beauty in -

"Hanabusa!"

Snapped out of his reverie, he looked up to see Akiyama Maemi, a girl from the Akiyama family that although was a B-level vampire, not quite the highest level of aristocracy. He was surprised his father would invite her here, knowing that her family was not even a part of the Senate. He supposed people like her would help the pretence of a normal gathering. He felt the familiar, charming smile pull across his face, although he wondered when they spoke on a first name basis.

"It's good to see you, Akiyama," he said, careful to add the appropriate -_san_. She didn't miss the honorifics, and her smile faltered slightly, her gray eyes losing that eagerness.

"It has been awhile, hasn't it? I heard you were attending Cross Academy with Kuran-_sama_," she said with reverence, as if speaking the Pureblood's name was like a God's. He supposed that vampires who weren't living in proximity with Kaname would have that careful boundary, and although Hanabusa still regarded him highly, he lost that strict formality some time ago. Hanabusa lowered the cup, examining her. She was lovely, he supposed, the way all noble vampires were. Her eyes were a pale gray, almost silver in the lighting, and she had long, ashy blonde hair. He knew from past events that she had a polite, reserved and kind personality. That, along with a sparkling laughter, made her the desirable to many – but not him.

Because surely if he were to turn around, another vampire would be exactly like her.

She would make him feel proud, higher class, entitled. She would be predictable, perhaps dull to talk to but not necessarily _horrible_. But there were too much like her.

Even Ruka had her own distinction – although that may be his own bias that made him think so. But with such a boring setting like this, he decided to give her a chance. Instead of shutting her down with a _yes _he gave her his undivided attention. "I am, it's enjoyable there. Perhaps you should visit sometimes."

Her eyes brightened at her invitation. "Well, I already finished my school but I'll hold you to that, Hanabusa."

He winced just the slightest but made up for it with his smile. Then Akatsuki caught his eye and his cousin, seeing the girl, nodded towards Ruka who was practically surrounded by other vampires before he approached Hanabusa. Maemi sensed his presence, slowly turning around but despite that very same, very expected smile, she did not seem pleased at the interruption. But certain things were accepted among the vampire world – like Vampire Hunters are scums, Purebloods are powerful and the Aidou and Kain cousins were closer than brothers, and it was clear who the third wheel would be.

"It was lovely seeing you again, Hanabusa, and I look forward to seeing you in the future," she said pleasantly. She nodded respectfully towards Akatsuki and said, "Kain". Hanabusa tried not to roll his eyes and they shared an exasperate sigh.

"She's still chasing after you?"

"Since we were seven," Hanabusa said lightly but there was no annoyance in his tone.

"Did you see your family yet?" Akatsuki asked, knowing his cousin had the tendency to run off at social gatherings. The blonde man shook his head. He had been trying to avoid his father the past hour since he arrived, knowing that it would only mean following behind Aidou Nagamichi as he introduced his son to other members of the Council. It was all about slowly incorporating him into the entire system in hopes that one day, he would take over the family name. With Hanabusa being so close to Kuran Kaname, it was practically a dream come true for Nagamichi who was an avid traditionalist.

"You can't run away forever."

"I can try."

Akatsuki sighed, tousling his already dishevelled hair. Tonight he wore a dark red suit over a white button down, carefully tucked to hide the flame tattoo on his hip but of course, it wasn't button up completely. Hanabusa on the other hand was dressed in an expensive, black tux with a black tie to match and underneath, a navy dress shirt. It was darker than his usual attire, but he thought it would provide a good contrast to all the red and warm tones around him.

"You know, Han -" he stopped, hearing the door open. Stepped in, Kuran Kaname and behind him like a golden retriever, Ichijou Takuma. There was a murmur of excitement like a shock throughout the crowd as they all placed their hands over their heart, bowing their heads at the pureblood. It was his father that greeted him first with the usual pleasantries.

The two right hand men made their way towards the dark haired pureblood, and Kaname's reddish brown eyes slid over towards them. "It seems that we're a bit late," Kaname said to Takuma, receiving a good natured laugh as a response.

"We hand our hands tied back at school," the blonde Ichijou explained, "a bit of a riot. Many girls were out waiting...I wonder how they knew we were leaving..."

Hanabusa blanched, and then he laughed nervously. _The note_. "Well, you know how fan girls are," he said lightly, scratching his head. Akatsuki sighed but Kaname only spared him a glance. It was Takuma who pressed on as Kaname returned back to conversing with Nagamichi. "You know, I think I heard that they found the note on your Misane's -"

At this, his father turned around the moment Kaname walked by him and Takuma, like the idiot he was, said the name out loud. Curiously, Nagamichi's blue eyes turned to his son. "Misane?" He asked. "I don't think I am familiar with that name."

"Well -"

"You wouldn't be," Takuma grinned brightly as if nothing was wrong despite the way Hanabusa's face flushed, "she's a student at Cross Academy."

"Misane," he repeated and his polite expression became stiff as he turned to his son and said, "may I talk to you privately, Hanabusa?"

The blonde vampire nodded solemnly, casting Akatsuki a _I will die now, goodbye _glance before he followed his father to the corners of the room. As if by magic, the door opened and closed behind him, the music and chatter fading in the background as they walked through the long, dark corridor. "Who is this Misane?"

"Don't worry father," Hanabusa said, trying to pass it off as a casual, "it's nothing serious."

"Is she one of your cousin's friends?"

"No -"

"Does Ruka at least acknowledge her?" Of course he would secretly ask about her status through whether or not Ruka would associate with her. It was a covert way of asking if she was higher class. Hanabusa stilled.

"No..."

"And this is _you_r Misane?"_  
_

"Well..."

"Is she even of the Night class?"

"Well, not quite but -"

"Hanabusa." His father stopped him. All signs of that passionate, kind man was gone. Although Nagamichi had always been a good father to him, it was because Hanabusa was a good son. He had rarely done anything that would disappoint him. After all, he was handsome, polite, intelligent, charming, talented and overall _friends with the pureblood. _But entertaining a human to the point that their name would come at an event like this? And to be referred as _his_? There was nothing to be proud of that. "Will you stop acting like a child? Do you not grasp how important your status is? One day, you will take over this family. You will be head of the Pro-Monarchy seats in the Senate. I cannot have your name associated with a human girl, especially not -"

"Father, she's just a -"

"I will not hear that name anymore." He repeated sternly, his blue eyes hard. "You are lucky that Asato is not here tonight or else he _will _find some way to turn this information against us."

"You are taking this out of proportion," he began again quietly, but his eyes were fierce. "You have nothing to worry about. I won't do anything foolish."

Nagamichi appraised him carefully in the torch-lit hallway. There was a certainty in Hanabusa's eyes, and he hoped for the sake of the clan and cold war between the those for and against Monarchy, that his son would not do something that would get them back later. Best case, Hanabusa was right and this was just another one of his fleeting girls for trivial gifts and trinkets. Worst case...Hanabusa was drinking this human's girl blood.

"You better hope that you are not." Nagamichi said coldly. And then all signs of anger faded as the older man straightened up. "Now, I will see you back in the gathering later." And then he walked away, leaving behind a distraught boy staring at the ground.

He wasn't the one to seriously rebel. Anything he did, it was either because of his boredom, curiosity or his loyalty to Kaname. But he had never intentionally wanted to do anything simply for the reason of going against the rules set to him. Yet for the first time in awhile with complete knowledge that this was impossible, he allowed himself to freely wonder what his life would be like if he were to just drop everything, to act like a human and lay under the stars...

"Hanabusa?"

He looked up, his gaze lost in thought.

"I thought I saw you out here," said a soft voice, "is everything all right?" As she walked closer, he recognized Akiyama's face against the dark backdrop, the shadows of the quivering flames making her presence clearer to him. Great, she was following him – watching him. The thought made him uncomfortable despite the fact that for years now, there had been girls doing the exact same thing, and often to a more creepier and perhaps illegal extent.

"Of course," his voice didn't sound quite right, "why wouldn't I be?"

"You left quite abruptly." She stated, her large gray eyes worried. It was hard to be annoyed of her when she was genuinely _kind_. But he was just genuinely not interested. Not when his mind was preoccupied with his father's sudden turn of emotions. To think that it took something as little as a name to erase all the years of a providing, dutiful father into this cold one that thought he would do something stupid. It was as if all those years of Hanabusa being the perfect son meant nothing, and this little slip up defined him. Not that he exactly knew _why _it was wrong, of course. "Are you sure?"

"There's nothing wrong, Akiyama," he said with heavy exasperation. "Now if you don't mind -"

And then her hand was on his arm. He stopped and slowly turned, staring at her as if had just ripped off all her clothing and performed a satanic ritual right before him. "What are you -"

"I thought we were friends, Hanabusa," she said in a low voice, "we've known each other for quite awhile."

"It is custom," he said stiffly, pulling his arm back and she let him go with reluctance. It seemed that although she had the courage to suddenly touch him after years of timidly only having short conversations and exchanging brief glances with the occasional smile, she didn't have it in her to keep him there. Maybe he would have respected her a bit more if she had, but now he would never know.

"I know that you've dated many girls, but," she began and he suppressed a groan. He did not want to talk about this right now. "But I always thought you were kind to me. You can tell me if something is wrong." He wondered what it was with girls and the urge of having men _talk _to them. Why they always want to heal someone. Did they like sad, broken men just for the sake of fixing them up? And in her case, that process would end up with him falling in love with her. Typical. It was the reason why he never dated any one for too long. Either they were just too bland and merely something pretty to look at, or they were too emotional and began making up things about him. Too invested. They saw things that weren't there, like a broken, sad boy. "I'll do as much as I can to help."

"There's nothing wrong," he said again, his patience wearing thin.

She took a nervous step towards him, her eyes hopeful. Then she straightened up, slowly rearranging her hair to one side over her shoulder, her eyes on him. He couldn't help it. His eyes lingered over her smooth, pale neck and he had to force himself to look back at her face. "I'll do anything," she said again, quietly, willing him to understand. And he did.

"Akiyama," he was suddenly tired. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to be around other aristocrats, or have the weight of the future on him. He wanted to -

Wait.

He wanted _exactly _this.

To do whatever he wanted, to enjoy himself. And who was he to deny fresh blood – especially after so long strictly living off those horrible, tasteless and flat tablets? Years and months of it. Days of craving and here it was being served to him in a pretty, ashy blonde and gray eyed platter. "Are you sure about this?" He asked, although his eyes were already shifting into a bloodlust red. She inhaled sharply, never expecting him to give in. For years she had longed for his blood and solely his. When she had discovered that this was common among vampires as a sign of love, it all made sense. She had watched him growing up like a rising star, and knew that he would be great someday. And he was. He was everything she had hoped for, and more.

She nodded, trying not to seem eager. Her heart raced as Hanabusa took her gently into his hands, one around her and the other tipping her head away. Dreamy eyes fluttered shut as she gave into the rush of shivers down her back at his touch. And he wasn't even thinking anymore, he just gave into his instincts as he traced the line of the artery beneath her skin with his tongue. There was a heady warmth that the high pressured blood was giving off, and he decided not to prolong the taste any longer as his fangs lengthened and he pierced it through her flesh.

And then, just pleasure.

0-0

"Have you seen Hanabusa?" Ruka asked, now that she was away from a bunch of suitors. She looked happier though, knowing that her beauty was being appreciated by so many even when her heart belonged to only one man – one man that was not him. Akatsuki frowned.

"I haven't seen him since he walked out with his father," he said as his eyes scanned the crowd. "Maybe we should go find him."

Ruka's face twisted into a scrutinized expression. "I'd rather not," she said smoothly, looking away. "I do _not _want to know what he's up to this time."

* * *

This story is still on hiatus-ish since like...not the highest of priority?

(Sorry, VK Fandom)

But if upon request, y'all still want me to continue - I'll get this off hiatus completely and start cranking out more frequent, regular updates! So, reviews would be lovely :)

Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed!


	10. The Comet (II)

Chapter Ten: The Comet (II)

One moment, he was greedily drinking - no, practically _devouring_ the girl's blood and the next, her body was ripped away from his intense, almost painful grip and he was being punched in the face. Hard. "You _idiot_!"

It was like ice cold water was splashed into his face. Actually, that was not true either. It was as if he had been drowning and someone had finally pulled him out moments before he gave up. He blinked, clearing up his muddled thoughts and wiping the blood on his lips as he tried to regain focus and recall what had just happened seconds ago. His cousin was standing in front of him, his usual calm and stoic face now lit with anger as he placed a dazed and soon to be unconscious girl into Ruka before shoving Hanabusa against the wall, his hand twisted up into his collar. "What do you think you _were doing_?"

"I - I..." He couldn't think of an excuse. What _had_ he been doing? He couldn't think of a legitimate reason why he almost drained this girl...an irrelevant girl that he had never lusted for. It had just gotten away with him, and all he wanted was blood, to feel something...

Akatsuki's eyes were still ablaze although he loosened his grip on him. "We're leaving - soon. _Before_ people can smell her on you." He declared. He threw a glance back at the girl who was now limp in Ruka's arm. His second cousin was equally angry, obviously not expecting to follow Akatsuki only to have some trashy excuse of a noble vampire pass out from blood loss...and to Hanabusa, out of everyone. "You are such a fool," she hissed, "get him out of here. Now." She said, directing it towards Akatsuki.

The taller vampire grabbed him by the arm, leading him out through his back tersely without another word. "Wait, wait," Hanabusa began coherently, "it's a misunderstanding."

He wasn't talking to him, too angry from shock to do much but tighten his grip.

"Ow! Akatsuki, stop!" Hanabusa complained, regaining his usual personality now that the after effects of biting into someone was wearing off. The hazy, pleasurable state completely disappeared the moment they resurfaced above ground in the cold December air. Akatsuki waved over one of the many limos that had been waiting to accompany guests back at any given hour, and the driver immediately threw open the door to let the two aristocrats in. Once seated, Akatsuki finally had his temper under control. "Really, Hanabusa?" He started. "What are you trying to prove? I know that you didn't want to come, but to go as far as to -"

"I just got carried away!" He said quickly, his aqua eyes wide. "Honestly. I didn't think that...well, it's just been awhile since -"

"That's a horrible excuse. I just hope that," suddenly Akatsuki stopped and his face dropped, his palm hitting his forehead, "I just hope that Dorm President won't find out."

Hanabusa's expression darkened too at the idea of it. God, he would be in trouble. More than that. He would be thrown into the pits of Hell if Kaname were to find out he drank the blood out of a girl - a vampire, but a girl nonetheless - until she fainted. His face paled even more.

It. Was. Not. Worth. It.

The side of his face fell against the window, and he wished for at least a swift death - but what came even faster was his arrival to Cross Academy. Once the car slowly made their way through the road that was built at the side of an all too familiar forest, he suddenly crouched ahead to knock on the window. "Driver, stop here!" He demanded. Akatsuki looked up.

"Hanabusa, what at you -"

"I need to think. Okay? Just taking a walk." And before the car fully came to a stop, he had already opened the door by himself and stepped out, leaving Akatsuki staring after him with wide eyes. Then he sighed, only hoping that his cousin wouldn't do anything else that would make his punishment worse.

0-0

One moment, I was drifting off to sleep; nothing felt better than being cuddled up tight in a jacket and warm, thick scarf and curled up like a bug next to a huge furry dog in a perfectly cool night. There was no breeze, just a slightly lower temperature and refreshingly cold air. It was almost pitch black outside now, with nothing but the stars and the moon to light up the huge sky over me. And I was sleepy too, so the heavy drooping eyelids felt like God himself was billowing me with rest...

And then a hand was rustling me awake and shattered the perfect moment.

Light hair, light skin, lighter eyes.

"Geez, Hanabusa." I groaned as I sat up against the tree. I glared at him. "I was so close to - hey, you look nice. Party?"

He blinked and then looked down. "Yeah," his voice was dry, quiet, "sort of. What are you doing out here?"

"Well, I was sleeping..."

"You have a room."

"It's nice out. Probably the last good night before it gets seriously cold."

"You're going to get sick if you're just going to sleep out here," he frowned, shuffling his hands into his pockets. He _did_ look nice. He was wearing a dark suit that contrasted well against his lighter hair, face and eyes. But he looked distracted, his mind obviously somewhere else.

"Did something happen at this sort-of party?" I asked, figuring that sleeping time was over. I didn't talk much all day, of course, so a conversation was a welcome start right now. Especially with Hanabusa. He was the sort of person who talked a lot about himself and I was the listener type, so it worked out well. His mouth twitched and he looked uncomfortable. "What, suit too expensive to sit on the ground?" I raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on my lips.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course not," he said in that way of his before dropping to the ground - on the dirt, as opposed to the blanket - just to prove his point. Then his head fell in his hands, his fingers through his hair. I pull my other jacket closer towards my chin, watching him, waiting. "I did something I regret."

"You're a teenager," I reminded him dryly, "build a bridge, and get over it."

His eyes watched me underneath his eyelash as he gave me an equally dry glance. "Very funny, Misane." I gave him an apologetic smile, waving it off as I encouraged him to continue. A listener sort of thing. He sighed. "It's something that will get me in trouble with many people."

Now this caught my interest. "You didn't kill anyone, did you?"

He looked awkward again, changing the way he sat so that his knees were towards him, his arms thrown over them. He looked young then, all folded up like that. "No..."

"Drugs?"

Again was that withering glance. "No."

"Right," I nodded, "you said it was something you regretted."

He looked at me one long, last time before he started getting up and I laughed. "No, wait! Okay. I'll be good. I'll listen." His volatile nature amused me to no end. He was good at that - keeping others interested. I grabbed at the hem of his pants - the only spot I could reach - and he stopped. Then he sat back down, but this time, next to me instead of in front of me. He didn't look at me as I pulled around the fabrics around me again. He stared straight ahead as he continued.

"It involved a girl."

"Say no more." I said, stopping him despite my claim of being good. "I called it out the first day. Raper -"

"No!" He said quickly and his arm shot out to knock me down to the side, with me laughing all the while as I fought my way back up, holding onto his arm. He exhaled, annoyed but then stopped. I let go of him. "No, it wasn't...rape. But let's just assume that she wanted one thing," he said carefully, "something I can give. But then I took too much."

"Advantage."

"Misane," he said slowly, daring me to continue. I smiled, silenced. "I went too far," he said and he wasn't looking at me anymore. He picked at his cuffs distractedly, his eyebrows pulled together and a frown on his face. "And maybe it wouldn't have mattered but this was...a bad time." I opened my mouth but he beat me to it. "And don't say that it's always a bad time to rape others, Misane, or I will -"

"Will what, Hanabusa?"

He stopped once he heard his name and then he sighed, resuming fidgeting with his sleeve. "I will throw away the telescope and kidnap your dog," he muttered. I called him on his bluff but because I was the listener type, I prompted him back to what he was talking about before. "It's just tough," he said, "family expectations."

I, for one, did not know too much about family expectations. They tended to sink once you're deemed incapable to see the world like 99.9998% of the world. My parents pitied me, looked at me with sad eyes and were willing to do whatever it took for me to be somehow a part of the world, even if that meant spending a ridiculously large amount at a private Academy with "mature" students who wouldn't treat me differently. Too late for that, and too late for transfer. If I did have those high standards imposed on me as most teenagers, I suspected that my parents would be quite disappointed as well. Not too smart, spent too much time chasing after something unreachable - literally and metaphorically - but I wasn't horrible either. No murdering. No drugs. Probably no parties either.

I looked at Hanabusa. Rich parents, probably, and something about a girl...arranged marriages? Not a perfect GPA? I wasn't sure. "Is it serious?"

His mouth pulled back in a straight line, not quite a frown. "I don't understand why it's serious, but I suppose it is."

"And you can't run away?"

His breath was caught. "Well, I can..."

"Then do it."

"What?" I felt his eyes on me, but I continued away. This was a thought I ventured into so often, the idea of running away from everything. To go somewhere different, foreign. To discover something new.

"You know, just drop everything and go. Take as much as you need - food, money - straight out into a bag. Go get plane tickets. Fly away. Or take the train. Or take the ship - swim, I don't know. As long as you're going somewhere new, somewhere you haven't conquered and start all over again." I felt a smile tease on my mouth. "To a place no one knows your name or your story and just...start from scratch. Discover something new. Meet interesting people, make a mark in someone's life instead of just being another passing face in the hallway. Go somewhere..." I felt his eyes one me and I forced myself to stop speaking so quickly, slowing it down instead. "Somewhere without huge buildings, maybe the Savannah? Just the ground and sky and stars...I mean, that just sounds like the best life to live, you know? To have to follow no rules, to just go with your instincts and _live_ - and I am getting ahead of myself. " I blinked and then stopped, laughing nervously as I fingered my hair, pushing it back. But when I had the courage to turn to look at him, it turned out I was right and his unwavering eyes were intent on me.

"Kaede," he said quietly, those eyes of his never leaving mine, "you are something else."

I didn't know what to say.

Except, "thanks".

He took a deep breath and then looked back at the sky. Another clear, cloudless night with the pale lights out to shine. I just stare at him, waiting for him to say something - wasn't he the one suppose to be telling the story, not me? At last, he talked, his voice so smooth it didn't so much as to break the silence as it did provide a comprehensible deep noise beneath it. "But it's not possible."

"Thanks." Sarcasm.

He sighed but when I glanced at him again, he didn't seem uncomfortable or bothered or sad or even tired. There was a small smile on his face. "You put up a good show, Kaede," he said lightly as he stood up. "But you should go back to the dorms and sleep. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Will I really?" I ask, repressing a smirk. There was no hopefulness in my tone, just that same teasing as earlier.

"I promise." Why did he sound so serious?

"You know, Hanabusa," I said as I got up too, folding the blankets and throwing it across my forearms. I glanced up at him, brushing my hair back with my free hand and awkwardly juggling the blankets in my arms to do so. "You should lighten up a bit."

"_I _should?" He countered, his eyebrows raised. "Look who's talking."

"What?" My smile dropped.

"_You're _the one who is going crazy with far fetched ideals that you will never reach because the truth is, we're still in school and you don't have the opportunity of going everywhere, and you may never will."

My God, was _he _moody.

I didn't know what to say.

But I knew from watching too much TV that this was usually the time where the girl would say something along the lines of _go to hell _before throwing whatever it was in her hands – this time, a blanket – on him, and maybe even unleash Akira on him. But instead, I just blinked, surprised that _I _was surprised by his flip of emotions. "Well, okay." I said quietly, awkward, my eyebrows knit together. I didn't know whether or not I should wave or say bye, but all I saw was Hanabusa staring at me with a stricken but otherwise an unapologetic expression.

Neither of us wavered, neither of us thinking it as worth to patch up the last several seconds.

* * *

Time to start writing more, seeing as to how people are still reading - so thank you for that! Feedback would be very much appreciated :)


	11. At Dusk

Chapter Eleven: At Dusk

_Lord. The Sun. It burns_.

I rubbed my eyes, my hands slipping beneath the sunglasses.

When I woke up this morning, the once thin layer of frost grew knee high - and yes, it was beautiful, but it was also blinding. Now the light that bounced back from the glittering snow only made it that much harder for me to decipher the differences. Everything seemed too light and it was all blending in with each other. It was annoying, and bothersome. Needless to say, I was having a bit more than a little trouble navigating my way to the main campus, even with Akira. I supposed it would almost be like staring directly at the sun for those with good vision - everything was just disorientating.

I rubbed my eyes for the hundredth time since I woke up, burying my face closer to my scarf as my other hand slipped over headphones. Everyone seemed to be a bit louder these days, and it was probably because of the upcoming break next week. I was looking forward to it too - it was two whole weeks of absolutely doing nothing but retreating into my parent's home where I would spend my days nocturnal style, and visiting my father in his laboratory.

My father was a scientist - an astronomer, really - from France but moved out here with my home-sick and native Japanese mom, and thank God for it too. During the breaks, I venture to Tokyo where it was absolutely impossible to see the stars if it weren't for my father's job and his high-tech equipment. Now _that _was something I was looking forward too.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and allowing Akira to take lead. It should be easy - none of the teachers were pushing too much work, mostly exam reviews which I have already accepted a just above failing mark for. And then there would be that annual dance the last day which meant that I would be in my room, _also _accepting the fact that the washrooms would be deemed unusable due to all the girls getting their hair and makeup done.

Just one more week.

Speaking of one week, it had been exactly that since I had last seen Hanabusa. I guess...I was annoying him. A bother. Maybe I overstepped some sort of boundary that I had not been aware of. I wouldn't have minded this abrupt to our friendship - or peer tutor, rather - if maybe at least he warned me first.

But I was used to this...being alone. Me, Akira and my teles-

Nope. Not that either. Just me and Akira.

0-0

"Hanabusa, those sunglasses are not good disguises." Akatsuki sighed as his blonde cousin ducked his head out the door, looking for his father's body guard who had been watching him for the past week. Ever since the soiree and the mishap with Akiyama, Nagamichi had tagged a squad of three to look after his son to make sure he didn't do anything to embarrass the clan name. Further, that was. It meant an entire week of being stuck in the dorm, of going to _all _his classes – no wandering, no leaving to talk to human girls in the forest late at night, and especially nothing that would be deemed inappropriate.

There was only four more days until the break but Hanabusa was already going insane. "They're still there!" He complained, throwing his dark sunglasses aside, frustrated. He ran his fingers through his hair before walking over to the window, pulling the curtains aside.

It was becoming darker earlier these days, and although it was evening, the skies were already navy bordering onto black. That, including the snow, made it clear that Kaede wouldn't be hanging around waiting for him but he didn't like he had ended it off with her the last time he had seen her.

He was jealous of her.

So unbelievably jealous of a _human_. Who would have ever thought.

She had such freedom to do whatever she wanted, to dream and not be held back by anything. His life was divided into two focuses: his status, and his lust for blood. Things that he couldn't control. And she was there, talking about escaping it all and if she had really wanted too – she could. But he couldn't escape the fact that he needed blood and after tasting fresh blood from the throat, he didn't want to go back to those god awful tablets. Hanabusa sighed, letting the curtain slip back into place.

It was just four more days. And then there would be the annual Winter Ball. He had never seen her there before, or maybe he just had never recognized her, but now this year he would be looking. Nobody skipped out on the dance, it was just one of those customs that you _had _to attend. Then, he would talk to her.

But about what, he did not know.

He just wanted to see her, that was all.

0-0

The days continued to slip by and I continued with my monotonous routine with the exception of my art project to distract myself from the lack of star watching. Otherwise then my day and nights craning my neck uncomfortably to paint my ceiling, my day consisted of heading to school, sleeping in class, occasionally waking up just to make sure that the teachers were still doing _nothing _because of the upcoming break and at last, I reached the official day. The _last _day. For a moment, I thought I stepped into school during the break since there was literally _no one _in class – well, no girls at least. I blinked and looked around, first at the teacher who had his feet up, and then at the remaining boys who followed suit of the clearly admirable teacher.

I slipped out.

No point of coming to class, really.

I took a deep breath in, feeling the cold air in my lungs and closed my eyes. I was never the rebellious type – ditching class, and whatnot. I made an effort to go to class, even if it's only to go to class and do nothing. But I couldn't lie – I didn't want to be caught ditching. Old habits die hard. I made way to the library where I could at least make a reasonable excuse that I was studying before the break and exams which should make anyone proud considering the majority of the female student body were beautifying themselves for the dance.

The dance.

I sighed, I nearly forgot about it. For a moment, I amused myself with the fantasy of arriving at the dance in a beautiful dress and making everyone gasp as they whisper among each other _is that the blind girl_? But then I laughed at the idea and the ridiculousness of it. Right – because that would _ever _happen. My life wasn't a movie, and even it was – it would be one of those horribly boring black and white ones from the 1900s.

0-0

"Hanabusa, for goodness' sake – stop _fidgeting_." Ruka snapped and even with the movement, not a hair went out of place from her beautifully crafted bun. Soft, wavy strands framed her face, but her narrowed eyes were anything but gentle. "You're behaving like a twelve year old."

The blonde young man stopped midway, his curled fingers hovering over his mouth before he rolled his eyes at the girl in the strapless, mauve dress. The skin from her shoulder to shoulder was exposed and Hanabusa could have swore that he saw Akatsuki's eyes lingering but he thought nothing of it as he stood up with a large inhale. "Is it time yet?"

"The dance just began," Ruka said as she stood up straighter. Her deft fingers were running through Rima's hair, who was sitting in front of her with a passive, doll-like expression. She didn't look at the mirror, only down at the book on her lap. "Do you want to show up early?"

Hanabusa crossed the girl's room to look out the window – ignoring Ruka's protest and the way Rima's eyes slid over to him with a twinge of annoyance – and he could see the Day class making their way to the Ball room located at the central building of Cross Academy. He didn't see Kaede among the crowd but, then again, he didn't expect her too. And yet his eyes followed the group of laughing girls who were pulling their coats closer to them, fighting against the wind and snow – until he felt something hit the back of his head. "Hey!"

"Get out of our room!" Ruka demanded, holding up another brush, glaring at him. He muttered something incomprehensible as he sauntered out – stopping when he saw Kaname leaning over the railings, peering down to the ground fifteen feet below them. His garnet eyes moved to Hanabusa and ran down the man. He was already dressed, wearing a grey suit lit up his blonde hair and even his readiness surprised the pure blood.

"G-Good evening, Kaname-sama." He bowed his head slightly.

Kaname's eyes stayed on him for a second longer before he straightened up. He still wore the black button down uniform shirt and didn't look as if he had any intention of going to the Ball. It was a tedious event, one he only attended for Yuuki's sake and in the true Night Class fashion, he was not making any effort of arriving prompt unlike the aristocrat before him.

"Has the surveillance been that restless for you?" Kaname asked, although he did not sound too curious. Hanabusa shook his head although in truth, it nearly drove him crazy. "I don't have to remind you to behave tonight, do I?"

"Not at all, Kaname." His voice was low. Because it didn't matter. Whatever was going to happen, will happen.

0-0

Nothing happened.

His blue eyes scanned over the crowd again and yet, there was no burgundy-haired girl in sight. He saw some beauties, of course, or as beautiful a human can get when in the company of vampires. But every single one of them was wearing too much make up, too much perfume for his heightened senses and he wondered if they could even recognize themselves behind all the cover. The vampires were opposite. They were aloof, they didn't care either. But their exquisiteness was lost simply because of the sheer multitude of it - perfection was boring, and he was numbed to it. His finger tapped his crossed arms and he sighed before losing his posture but as he walked over to the bar -

"Hanabusa, _stop_."

He looked up, his glass still empty and without even a single drop of bland tasting champagne and frowned. In front of him now was his very own cousin who was peering at him with a peculiar expression. Not curious - suspicious.

"What, what am I doing?" Hanabusa blinked. And like everyone else that evening, Akatsuki's gaze remained on him, trying to read his thoughts and at last he understood. With a sigh, he ran his fingers through his bronze coloured hair and shook his head, dismayed.

"You're waiting for that girl. That human."

"Is that a question?"

Akatsuki narrowed his eyes and looked past his shoulder at the girls that clung to each others' shoulders, their eyes exaggerated with liner and lashes as they ogled at the two cousins, whispering – trying to urge one another to go first. Akatsuki couldn't possible understand what his cousin saw in some human. Granted he had not really met her before, he couldn't understand what was possibly appealing from something as fragile as humans when offered with something sharp, something bright as a vampire...

But then again, he was biased.

He looked back at his cousin. "What do you think is going to happen," he began, "that some crippled -" Hanabusa's jaw tightened at his words, but he continued anyway, "girl will arrive here, all dressed up with a sudden make over to impress _you_?"

Hanabusa bit down on the corner of his lip. "I don't see why _not_."

* * *

Hello! I'm always curious if people are still reading this - and in case you are, hello again! I'm finally back into the mode of working on this story, now that I have more ideas. But with all the things going on in the manga - that I've heard of, I don't keep up with it, I only watched the anime and skim through the manga very, very occasionally - but I suppose this is taking in the VK anime world since Aido isn't interested in Yuuki whatsoever...

Thanks for reading! If you guys still care, reviews would be lovely :)


	12. Crash and Burn

Chapter Twelve: Crash and Burn

She didn't.

It was fifteen minutes before midnight and they were in the midst of the hour where vampires and humans began to mingle, where formalities began to fade and alcoholic drinks were passing through the human crowd, and blood among the vampires. Even Ruka was amusing a group of human males, although Akatsuki suspected it was only because they were adorning her with every compliment man can possibly come up with and vampires were still hesitant at approaching the noble famed for her beauty and dedication to Kaname.

Kaname disappeared. So did Yuuki. Zero had not shown up at all.

And Hanabusa was sitting at the table, next to Akatsuki who was watching everything unfold. The blonde vampire had his head on the table, his fingers strumming while the other hand was around the stem of the glass. Occasionally, he would look up and around with a puppy eager expression, take a sip, and look disappointed before resting his head again.

"Do you remember when you used to be there – competing with Ichijou?"

He turned his head to the side and saw the pale blonde vampire practically smiling up sparkles and glitter as his hands stayed on a human girl's glove one longer than it really should – not that she, or the crowd of girls around her, minded. There was a distinct, bubble of laughter emitting from that group alone and Hanabusa's mouth twitched. Then he rolled his eyes. "Competing with what?"

"You tell me," Akatsuki said as he tipped his chair back, not needing a hand to hold him a bay. "I've always wondered."

Hanabusa rolled his eyes and looked down at his expensive, designer silver chronograph watch. That was it, he had enough of waiting. His first day without having a group of security guards observing his every single move – and yet there he was, acting as if they still were. He stood up and several people turned around, interested at the first sudden movement from the usually charismatic and charming aristocrat. But their expectations failed them, as they watched his long legs cross the ball room in several strides – and then he was gone, disappearing out the door and into the winter night.

0-0

He should have known it.

They called him a genius and yet he was a complete idiot – of _course _Kaede wasn't the type. Sure, she might be late, but three hours late was pushing it. The Sun dorms were completely vacant, but he knew that she was in her room at the far corner like the way he knew the spectral theorem. He decided against throwing rocks at her windows to avoid the cliche – and yet there he was, outside a girl's – a _human _girl's – window, wondering why she didn't attend the dance that every social group of the school had.

It was curiosity, he told himself; he was, by nature, very curious and just the same, he liked answers. And he was there to get them.

He was never one for much physical activity – his vampire genetics made his body at the highest human standards without any effort on his part – but he scaled up the multilevel walls at ease until he was standing at the ledge of her window.

_This is not creepy, this is just observation_, he told himself, but even as he was leaning in on her open window, he knew that that wasn't quite true. Her windows were wide open with nothing but curtains covering it which he easily slid aside. But the moment his foot perched upon the window sill and his hands were steadying him on both sides – he stopped.

She was there, sleeping.

He swallowed something.

The girl was lying in the most awkward position but she was, without a doubt, deeply asleep from the way she was breathing and her eyes firmly shut. Her legs were propped over a pile of pillows while a laptop sat on her stomach, a hand thrown over it in a feeble attempt to secure it as the other arm bent underneath her head that was lolled to the side.

Her neck, exposed.

His tongue ran over his lower lip before he bit down on it, staring. A slender neck, practically presenting itself before him. His foot gently and silently landed in her room, and then the other. He walked over to her, slowly, like a predator. And he knew that his eyes were glowing red but the closer he got to her, the more he noticed her scent – like outdoors, like the wind. And when her lips parted, there was the soothing aroma of coffee. He spotted a still warm cup on the ledge, but his eyes didn't wander too long before going straight back to her.

Just one bite couldn't hurt, could it?

And then he was right next to her, and he could hear her breathing, feel her heat. He swallowed the anticipation, but could not suppress the nervousness at the pit of his stomach. He was going to get in trouble – more trouble than he did with...her. The other one. He couldn't remember her name, not when he was this close to a living, breathing human whose blood was singing out to him. The sweet, warm scent of blood. He could imagine it already, the way his fangs would break the thin skin on the curve of her neck, the way blood would swell up and pour into his mouth – the way his lips would feel on her skin, securing the flow of the very thing that gave her life, the very thing he lived on.

He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

She didn't stir.

Every so gently, he brushed back her mess of dark brownish red hair and she made a sound like a sigh but otherwise did not respond. He leaned in closer. The silk of his suit brushed against the cotton of her blankets, and whereas his body was slightly cooler than hers, her vitality was practically radiating off her in heat and he wanted to close in, to feel her against him.

He opened his mouth, her exposed neck in place.

But then he paused, and closed his mouth, pulling away. He had to act quick – _before _he regret this. A harsh hand shoved into her, her laptop falling off the precarious position and she made a sound. "What...what the hell?" She mumbled, arching her back and yawning as she rubbed her eyes and then she slowly looked to her where a well dressed young man had fallen to a sitting position next to her bed. "Hanabusa?" She murmured. And then it hit her. "What the _hell _are you doing here?"

But despite her accusatory tone, she didn't shy away from him or huddle her blanket to cover her flimsy tank top pyjama. If anything, she settled in further. She groaned, placing the laptop on the table before rubbing her face and pulled the blanket up to her chin, stirring to the side to look at him as if she was planning to fall back asleep. She yawned again. "This is a whole new level of stalker," she said sleepily, "I hope you know that."

"I -" What could he possibly say to that? Seconds ago, he was _this _close to crossing the line and drinking her blood and now he was just sitting dejectedly by her bed as if he was a dog, waiting.

She threw her arm over her face. "Leave."

He stared at her. "What?"

"I was _sleeping_. I don't know _how _you got in and I don't feel like entertaining you right now so just..." She didn't continue, she simply flicked her wrist towards the door. He frowned at her but then he remembered how he left her off last time and sighed. His fingers raked his hair back before he slumped closer to the bed, his head tilting and resting on the mattress.

"Sorry, Kaede."

"You're forgiven."

Pause.

"Really?"

"Yes – really. Now leave."

He sighed again. "Come on, I'm serious. I didn't meant what I said last time. I was angry over...you know."

For a moment, she didn't say anything. And then he heard her sigh very theatrically before sitting up. He watched eyes her body moved up, her long hair following behind her and she turned so that she was sitting up against the wall, the blankets piled on her crossed legs. Her hands fell on to the mass of duvets before she finally spoke again. "I feel a conversation coming up," she said, her voice still heavy with sleep but at least her eyes were, at last, on him. With the silvery light from the window and his own vision, he could still see the blend of greens and browns in her eyes – almost gold and he found himself just staring at her, at each fleck of colour before he realized that he should say something. But then she beat him to it. "So, you were upset."

"You knew this."

"I do. That's why I don't mind." She smiled a little, amused smile. "Then again, I didn't expect boys to be quite so...emotional."

"I am not," he objected, his eyebrows pulling together but her eyebrows rose in a challenge, as if he just defeated his point – and she was right. He got up in a mess of awkward long legs as he tried not to pull on his clothing and he sat down next to her. The bed creaked in protest, and his palm landed on the still warm sheets – _warmed by her_, he thought distractedly – and she stared at him suspiciously as well but didn't move away. "The point is, I apologized. For what I said. You can do whatever you want with your life and it would only bring me the utmost pleasure in life to see that you fulfil them – which I'm sure you will."

"I do love sarcasm with my apologies," she mused, sounding a bit more alert. She touched her wrist to find a hair band and he didn't know why it was so interesting to see her arms reach up to twist her bed-head hair up into a messy bun on the top of her head, but it was. It was more than interesting, he couldn't pull his eyes away.

She was a human, he reminded himself, a human. A human. A _human_.

And yet the way she moved was...captivating in the way of a vampire's. Or rather, the way he watch a woman do so if she was a vampire. A vampire that was a potential interest – not a human that he would have to sever ties with as soon as he graduated from this "school". He blinked. Then, he moved away slightly, giving her space. He was warm, then, really warm and everything smelled of _her –_ her room, her bed, and soon every vampire on campus could smell her on him and would think something happened.

And something could have, and he regretted that it didn't.

But it wasn't too late.

He opened his mouth, but then he didn't know what to say. That he was a vampire? He didn't care too much if she knew, not really. But then again he didn't want to risk her becoming frightened and running away – he didn't think she would blabber though. She also did not look like the type to fantasize about vampires and the generic forbidden love...

Love?

No, he was getting ahead of himself.

"Were you at the Winter Ball?" She suddenly asked, breaking the silence between them. She fingered her hair tiredly. "No, wait, it's obvious that you were. What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing _here_?" He countered.

She stared at him as if he was stupid in that way of hers that drove him insane. Then she lifted up the blankets very slowly and said just as slow, "sleeping." She frowned. "And you're the one invading my room in the middle of night! How did you get in – and don't say that the window was open because that it's not an invitation for people to -"

"Well it was." He cut her off. "And I was here to apologize."

The frown remained. "Mission accomplished." A yawn got the better part of her. "Now really, leave. I have to get up bright and early tomorrow -"

"You're leaving?"

"It's Winter Break, Hanabusa, what do you think." And the way her eyes half closed as it slid towards him and her tone did not have a single care in the world made him realize the proximity between them once again, of the heat, of the scent. And the way she said his name – his given name, without a touch of annoyance or tiredness or suspicion like his cousins, or the patronization of his parents, or the gush of his sisters..

"Where are you going?" His voice was breathy, and he wondered if she was analyzing the situation over and over like he was. She probably wasn't. It was just a curse of his brain to over think everything and she looked more than at ease.

"To my parents' house." She stretched once again, making a sound and he blatantly stared at the way he could see the subtle curve of her stomach and not so subtle chest through the shirt as her back arched. She didn't notice, she was rubbing her eyes yet again.

"Where -"

"Tokyo. Gee, Hanabusa, really. I'm tired, and you're sort of making it hard to go back to sleep the longer you stay." Her eyes were winced, only one open and staring at him.

"So then don't go back to sleep," he said with a smile playing on his mouth. His legs were hanging off her bed so he kicked off his shoes and pulled his arm out of one sleeve, and then the other before he threw it aside. With just the same carelessness, he unbuttoned the vest underneath and sent it flying and loosened his tie. "Let's talk."

"Are we really going to do this?" She asked, but she was already propping a pillow behind her, getting comfortable. His grin grew.

"It's been awhile."

Something about what he said made her stiffen, her mouth press into a thin line. "So it has." Her voice was dry, and he wondered if he offended her some -

"Oh!" There was his intelligence again. "I would have come earlier but I was in trouble because of said family affair." She looked at him, and then sighed.

"It's too early for me to decide if you're lying or not. But as long as you're not here for..." Her words drifted off. The same smile was tugging at the corner of his lip.

"Don't be shy now, Kaede, it isn't like you."

"Others would say differently." She pulled the blanket to her chin, but he saw her arm peek out as she moved to take a pillow and threw it towards him. He accepted it with a usual Idol-worthy wink and it only felt natural for him to hug the pillow. It smelled like her. Everything _still _did.

"They don't know you then," he shrugged.

"I feel a movie moment coming on," she said, dryly amused.

So did he, but he wasn't sure if it was a romance cliche or a horror movie. "I agree." He looked away from her, to straight ahead. He only had a glimpse of her room before – but now he saw it fully. Standards curtains and bed – yes, but a cream coloured blanket and he wondered if she picked it out herself. There was a poster that was an interesting array of colours but otherwise incomprehensible image – abstract – that took up the majority of her wall. The other had a mirror and a stand that was empty of everything but a brush. He thought of Ruka's, who, despite her natural beauty, was still cluttered with powders and glass jars and brushes like a studio.

It was plain, it was normal.

But he tilted his head up and he saw on the ceiling was something completely different.

Unlike the portray that was monochrome, her ceiling had colour and it was hypnotizing interesting. It was the sky, yet it was not. It was all in colour – colour that should not blend well together, but it did and his eyes couldn't help but follow one stroke of colour with the other. There were dots of a pure, untainted white that were the stars, but the actual backdrop of the sky had every colour he could imagine. Darkened versions to make the sky, and he could imagine each brush of navy or sienna or teal made by her black and white eyes, chosen because of a degree of black or white instead of the colour that he could see.

But all he said was, "that's really cool."

She followed his gaze and a smile lit up her face. There was that look again. As if she forgot him completely and he was left staring at her. Did she always look like this – or did her face change this past week? Or maybe it was because he was void of all faces but his dorm's. That must be it. That _had _to be it.

"Thanks," she said, sounding not quite there, "I worked on it obsessively these past couple days."

"My absence was well spent then."

She gave him a look – _that _look – and rolled her eyes. "My life does not revolve around you, Hanabusa."

"Just go on telling yourself that, Kaede." He paused, and wondered. Hesitantly, his head leaned on her shoulder – but before he even touched her, she shoved him off, laughing. And he was laughing too. He didn't know why, but he was. Her palm pressed against his chest and sure, he did actually was successfully pushed back but his fingers wrapped around her wrist and the sound of half sleepy but genuine laughter filled the too-dark room and it was in the middle of her falling towards him that he thought he wanted to kiss her.

Kiss her?

He shouldn't. He couldn't.

And before he felt her on him, he knew that if he kissed her, he was damned. And he had no other choice but to prove that he was _not _damned and that he was in control.

And then she was against him, and one hand held down her hand to his side while the other cupped her face, shifting her away. "Han-"

But it was too late. He was blinded with determination to prove that everything was normal and nothing was getting too close and his lips were on her neck. It was everything he expected it to be and he felt the recesses of his mouth watering slightly at the sudden warmth on his lips but it was soon washed out completely as his fangs pierced through the soft skin. She thrashed in his arms, but his hands let her go so that he could restrain her there. He turned her over. She was underneath him, her legs trying to kick him but he pinned her down and his knees were on both side of her, one hand pressing down on her shoulder, the other firmly over her mouth. She had no chance.

Then it was as if his early imagination came true when warm, sweet blood gushed into his mouth and he was filled with it. Filled with _her_. And he wanted to devour her – not the way that it happened with the other girl, the vampire he could not spend another thought on. This was his consciousness. And the more he drank, the hungrier he became until he could not have enough of her. Even if he drained her dry, he thought that they could never be closer. He wanted them to be close, to consume her.

But then just as sudden, her body became limp beneath him, his hands lost the grip. He was just there, drinking more and more and yet it was not enough. Never _will_ be enough.

Then he heard a whimper.

And the sound broke him out of it completely. Everything shattered around him and everything dropped thirty degrees. Shivers ran down him and he was cold with shock he pulled back slowly, cleaning his lip of the blood. But when he looked down, all he saw was the girl, as white as snow– still. Not asleep, but completely still. Faint heart beat, fainter breathing.

His eyes were wide, his hands shaking.

"Kaede?"

No response.

_What have I done?_

* * *

Guys. _Guys_. I didn't keep up with the manga but I decided to read the final chapter just because and my heart is broken. **SPOILER: **WHERE IS THE ENDING FOR MY BBY AIDOU?! COME ON, HINO. So much unresolved feelings. *sighhhhhh*

So this is a longer chapter and I'm glad that there are still people reading this! Views were a bit lower but this story reached a hundred reviews! A hundred thanks to y'all! I hope you enjoyed.

Reviews would be lovely :)


	13. Into the Crater

Chapter Thirteen: Into the Crater

He smelled the blood.

The moment aristocrat blood was in the air, twined with a human's, Zero knew that something was going on that definitely should _not _be going on. And for a moment, Zero thought that it was Yuuki – but with who? Certainly none of those privileged, idiots of vampires would possibly do anything to provoke Kaname yet again...

But it didn't quite matter who it was. He was sitting in the forest, relaxing and simply doing nothing – aside from avoiding the Winter Ball – and suddenly got up as soon as he smelled it. He raced towards the scent, and it led him to the girl's side of the dormitory. By the time he tracked down the location by scent, he ended up in a completely empty hallway. And when he kicked down one of the doors, the panicked blue eyes of Aidou Hanabusa met his.

The room stank with blood.

He held up his gun.

"It's not what you think!" The vampire shouted, his eyes wide with alarm. There was blood down his startled face, and his fangs were fully out. In his arms was a limp, red haired girl. Zero didn't think. He charged over, shoving the vampire up by his collar and towards the window – he would have thrown him straight out too. For God's sake, blood was still _dripping _from the girl's neck and -

And then he was punched.

Before he could even think about it, he retaliated. His arm lurched out and crashed into Aidou's and he felt the satisfying but painful crunch of bone against his knuckles. The blonde boy flew back wards, nearly breaking the window but caught himself at the wall but just as quick bounced back and wrestled with the vampire hunter, his fingers digging into the shoulder and his fangs fully out -

"Get _off _me," Zero demanded through his teeth -

And several things followed that threat.

Kaede opened her eyes, sleepy and then her expression turned horrified the very moment the disciplinarian's arm moved down towards -

"No!" And the moment she saw the gleam of the silver gun, she thoughtlessly rushed over...

Only to get slammed. Right into the face – into the eye. By Zero. More specifically, by his elbow.

The room filled up with noise. With Kaede's unabashed profanity, Hanabusa's protest and Zero's confused breath. "Mother_fucking _shit -"

"Did you just _elbow _Kae -"

"What are you _doing_ there -"

" - hurting like a fucking _bitch_. Holy -"

Hanabusa shoved Zero aside, forgetting completely about the fact that moments ago, he had forced his blood into Kaede's for her to heal. Although he was, in no way a pure blood, his bloodline was close enough that even his own blood should be enough to accelerate her healing to some degree. And it had. Her wounds did not close up immediately as it would with a pureblood's but in the moment, her heart beat had grown stronger and within a few minutes, the colour returned to her face. But then Zero had shown up like an avenger and nearly choked him to death if he hadn't got the chance to land a punch that threw him off. But if anything, the next day, he would not have treated Zero with any less disdain.

But he had _hurt _Kaede. And that was crossing the line.

Zero seemed appalled by his own actions, but more so when he caught a glimpse of blood shot eyes, puffed up but it was just for a moment before she cupped her eye. She was still swearing as she turned away from all of them and despite the fact that there was evident blood in the air, Hanabusa went over to her easily with his bloodlust in check as he wrapped one arm around her.

"Let's get you to the -"

"I just need some...some towels," she mumbled but the moment she took one clumsy step, her vision blacked out and she fell into the door and then back at Hanabusa before steadying herself. "Okay, the nurse. I need to see the nurse."

"I'll go -"

"I think not."

Even though she had no idea who it was at the door, she froze. Hanabusa froze. Zero froze.

_Aw, shit_.

"Kaname."

0-0

This was weird.

Like, extremely weird. It was more than that. It was uncomfortable. And of course, awkward. I kept my gaze straight although it was nearly impossible to ignore the presence of the tall, dark haired man beside me. I saw him before – Kuran. Kuran Kaname. And he was more than intimidating when he was this close and I wondered about the _gentle _and _soulful _looking Kaname that I always heard being whispered about. I sneaked a glance and regretted it immediately when those girl-like long lashed eyes slid towards me.

And slowly, he stopped.

"The nurse isn't here," he said. His voice was...like a movie voice. Impossibly smooth, perfectly toned. Something Hanabusa and he both shared. Then he paused and looked at me. "Will you stay here?"

I watched him carefully. He didn't look suspicious, in fact, he looked like he expected me to make like a puppy and wait for him. "Am I in trouble?" I asked, despite the fact that my eye was swollen and it felt sore all over. And it throbbed. I was the victim, wasn't I?

This time he looked suspicious. His darkish eyes examined me closely before he reached forward – completely forgetting about personal boundaries, which I did not expect from a person with such a solemn expression – and touched my neck. I flinched. What the hell? But then he drew his hand back and there was something...crusting on it.

Was that some sort of sauce? I was eating -

"Are you light-headed?" He asked with a frown. I felt like I was in front of a doctor under his observational eyes and professional tone.

"No, my eye just hurts," I said. It was nearly swollen shut and if there was some sort of pus or blood, I really hoped he _was _a doctor so he wasn't inwardly disgusted. But he didn't move back. It was early in the morning, my voice felt too loud, this situation was...strange. And I was cold. I did not want to be here, and I could not stress out how isolated and _uncomfortable _this whole thing was. "But um, I'll be okay with water."

"Water?" His eyes narrowed ever the slightest.

Did I say water? "Ice...?"

He looked at me very, very steadily. Too calmly – as if he was void of all emotions. "Ice is all you need?" He asked again. With his question, I felt my face heat up and it was as if I was very focused, and could only think about the way he was looking at me – not quite worried, but as if...hesitant.

"Yeah," I said, my voice shaky. I tried to remember what else happened – but...it was a dream, some sort of half-coherent thought, right? "What else do I need?" But even as I was saying this, I felt my vision zone in. I knew exactly what I needed, because that little _thing _I thought I experienced – with Hanabusa – wasn't some delusional, exhausted imagination. It was real. Which meant -

Oh _God_.

And then I was falling.

0-0

"_Papa_?"*****

"Cadie!_ Tu t'es réveillée! J'étais inquiet quand tu ne m'as pas telephoné, ce matin. On s'attendait à ce que tu appelle._"

"_Desolé, je..." _The sudden change in language was natural to me. I woke up, blinking away the sleepiness and feeling crust in both eyes but happy nonetheless. I smiled at him, hugging my obviously worried father. He was dressed in what he called casual – dress pants and a pale blue button down. No tie, at least. But he still had his framed glasses and his jacket on. Pulling back, he touched my face gently, sympathetic to my confusion."_Quelle heure est-il_?" I asked, rubbing one eye and gingerly avoiding the other.

"_Dix heures, chérie. Le directeur m'a appelé car t'étais malade_."

"_Malade_?" I tried to remember what happened. One moment, I was curled up on my bed, asleep and comfortable, anxiously awaiting for morning to come so that I could get up and leave early on the train to my parent's home...and then...someone visited me. Who? "_Merde_," I groan. My eye was throbbing. What the hell? How did -

"_Essaye de ne pas toucher ça,_" my father said, gently placing a hand on mine, "_t'es __tombée sur quelque chose."_

"_Je suis tombée?_" When did I fall – onto the floor from my bed? How _stupid _was that? I couldn't. And how could my eye get hurt from falling onto the ground. Wouldn't have I remembered? "_T'es sûr_?"

"_C'est ce que l'infirmière m'a dit. Détends-toi, chérie. Le conducteur de l'université sera bientôt là._"

"Oh." I said quietly. "_Merci, papa. Tu n'avais pas besoin de venir ici. Je vais bien_._"_

He frowned and then turned my face slightly, inspecting it. I couldn't see the my own eye, of course. It throbbed, and felt a bit sore but it wasn't really painful. He made a thoughtful sound before he said, "_oui, on dirait bien. __Mais je voulais m'assurer._" My father stood up and ruffled my hair kindly, his eyes bright. I knew that we had the same colour – hazel – but his hair was much lighter than mine. I had always been told by my past doctors that I inherited most of my appearance, the usual softer edges of Asian descent and the ever slightest slant of eyes, but I was all my father when it came to colouring and personality. My mother was much more outgoing, more assuming and assertive. It was my father who preferred to be alone. But he was a scholar, one with a PhD in astronomy and astrophysics. I, on the other hand, was failing grade eleven math. "_Est-ce que tu veux que je t'ammène quelque chose de ta chambre?_"

"_Non,_" I said as I stood up and tried to look for a mirror. He smiled at me and made for the door before I stopped him."_Attends_ -" He turned around, looking at me curiously. "Merci d'être venu. Oh, et vous me manquez, toi et maman."

He laughed slightly, and then walked back to kiss the top of my forehead gently. I really got along with my parents, they were my best friends. But I supposed it was a side affect of being a relatively "sick" child. "_Toi aussi tu nous manque, chérie. On se voit à l'entrée de l'école dans vingt minutes_."

"Okay," I said. He ruffled up my hair one last time before leaving. Then I looked around the nurse's office, unable to shake off the feeling that I was missing something.

0-0

Dr. Elliot Leroy felt just a bit uncomfortable to be following behind a petite, over-exuberant brown haired Japanese girl up into the girl's dormitory, and was relieved when he bid the girl farewell with his daughter's luggage in hand and a polite smile on his face. Although his Japanese was far from mediocre, it was clear that the girl was even _more _uncomfortable with him and felt the need to smile more often to make up for the lack of conversation. But he was used to it. Being a visibly _white _man in a city predominantly of Asian over the past several years gave him a thicker skin to such things. But with ten minutes left to meet Cadie – or by her Japanese name, Kaede – and knowing his daughter's habit of being ten minutes late _at least_, he wandered around the campus he was paying a ridiculously large sum of money for Cadie to attend.

But it was necessary, of course.

He knew what it was like to be bullied – God knew that Catholic french schools in France were hard, but worse yet there was a boy like him who was so dedicated to his studies. The French were passionate people, and many of the girls were...not quite to his suiting. And once he left the God awful elementary and even more horrifying secondary school, he had studied in England for his undergraduate, and the states for his doctoral degree. It was during his research years that he moved to Japan and fell in love with Hatsumi Misane. Life became easy...and then more difficult.

Especially when they had a daughter like Cadie. He didn't even _knew _she was colour blind until one event when she was a little over three years old and was drawing the most _strangest _thing and upon his advice, she reached out for certain colour and was struck confused. Several testings later, it was concluded that she was completely achromatic. Black and white. But she had never mined, not as a child. It was only his wife and he that worried for her. She still laughed like all the other children, and was amazed at the littlest things as one her age would. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like to live absolutely without a speck of colour – but she was fine.

But even if _she _was okay with it, a lot of other children weren't. He didn't want to put her through it. Cross Academy was an escape, a place of more well-mannered children and he had yet to hear a single complaint from Cadie.

He stopped when he was behind a blonde haired boy who was so _obviously _sneaking around. He was hiding behind a pillar, crouching down and glancing to the side to the Dormitories that he had just came from. Elliot frowned, and weighed whether or not to be a pro-active parent and call out this clearly rule-breaking act. With a sigh, he decided to. He really didn't want to, but the Headmaster had done a nice enough deed already. "Hey you, young man," he called out in nearly perfect Japanese. The blonde boy swivelled around, startled to death, his bluish green eyes wide. Then he sighed, visibly relieved.

"Oh, it's you."

"You?" Elliot repeated with a frown. He wasn't used to this – ill-mannered children. He worked around university students and professors, most of them international and fluent in either French or English. And whenever he worked with an undergraduate native to the country, they were always impeccably polite and professional. This boy, who seemed too privileged – then again, look at the setting – was not the norm. "Excuse me?"

The boy laughed shyly, touching his hair nervously before getting up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I was, uh, looking out for someone."

"That sounds very suspicious. Should I be worried?" Why did he feel as if he knew this person?

He laughed again, a fake laughter. "No, not really. I'll just be going now -"

Then Dr. Leroy remembered why he was so familiar. "I know you," he said and the boy stopped. He looked as if he was about to say the same thing from the way his eyes narrowed the slightest towards the older man, "you were a candidate at the research institute at the University of Tokyo, no?"

He blinked. "...I am," he said slowly, "are you by any chance, Misane Kaede's -"

"Father? Yes." He walked towards the young man, and switched the handles of the luggage to his left hand so that he could hold out his hand. "Dr. Leroy, nice to meet you."

"Aidou Hanabusa," he said in a hesitant tone, his eyes never leaving his. He shook his hand firmly. "I'm a friend of your daughter's."

A friend – of Cadie's? Hm. "Really, she never told me about you."

He laughed nervously again, fingering his hair. "Well, we only became friends recently, you see. I was her tutor."

Elliot's expression darkened. "Tutor, hm?" He knew his daughter wasn't the brightest in certain fields. She was intelligent and mature, yes, but on paper...it wasn't as if he didn't get progress reports and calls every so often urging him to put her into more programs. "Thank you, she needs it." He said with a slight chuckle.

"You know, she told me her father was a scientist, but not a Doctor," Aidou continued, although his eyes were still moving around distractedly as if he was on the look out for something, "may I ask your field of speciality?"

"Astronomy and astrophysics," Elliot said proudly.

Aidou laughed. "Like father, like daughter, I see. Kaede spends almost every night out."

_Kaede_? He was in Japan long enough to know the rules on formalities. It took him God knew how long to call his wife Hatsumi and be accepted. He remembered being twenty five and laughing as Hatsumi blushed when her brothers heard him call her by her given name within the first several months of their friendship. But by then, they were already head over heels in love and planning to wed. And now, nearly forty years old, they were still together. "Yes, she was always an avid star watcher." He paused and studied this boy.

From a purely objective point of view, Dr. Leroy could understand if a girl his age was interested in this young man. He was handsome, sure. He seemed on edge as well, but Dr. Leroy wasn't sure if it was because he was looking out for this certain person or because he was talking to an adult, although he doubted it was the latter. This was the boy, after all, that he remembered the faculty was trying to get under their wing so that the post-graduate unit would be able to work with some research group that was willing to give a grant of a quarter million. He was intelligent, then. And wealthy, if he went to this school.

But for the life of him, Dr. Leroy could not understand how _his daughter_ became friends with a boy like this. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Aidou."

"You too, Dr. Leroy." Aidou said with an oddly cheery flourish, "should I be expecting to seeing you around at the university in the next couple years?"

Elliot laughed. "I doubt it, I will be working with the group at the Pierre and Marie Curie University."

Aidou laughed as well, seemingly about to say something along the lines of _too bad_ before he stopped noticeably. His grin dropped and he leaned back slightly, his eyebrows pulling together. He paled. "Wait, is...is it just you?"

He looked at him carefully. "Pardon?"

"That university...is it in France?"

"Paris, yes." He paused, and then he understood. "I think I see where you're going with this – and yes. Cadie will be finishing her high school with me."

"Cadie?" He repeated again. This boy was like a broken record. From understandably nervous yet with an underlying charm, he went straight to a very awkward, teenager. "Kaede, right. Uh. And that's...next year?" He asked, one eye wincing slightly as he scratched his temple with his finger.

"That is the plan, yes." Cross Academy was a renowned, prestigious and internationally recognized school and schooling here _would _look good on a transcript – her marks aside – but Cadie needed to broaden her horizons. She spoke Japanese, French and English flawlessly, from her earlier years. Born in Japan, but raised in France and spent up to fifth grade in the States, she adapted well to many languages. But he wanted her to have her last year in France, and maybe – hopefully – begin her undergraduate studies.

High, high hopes.

"I – I didn't know that," he said quietly, looking down. "So in a couple months..."

"March."

"_March_?" He repeated.

For a potential researcher, the conversation was getting tedious. "Yes, that is when the school year ends." Dr. Leroy cleared his throat. "Well, I have to be going. Again, it was nice meeting you." But this time as he was about to walk out, he stopped in front of a young man who was nearly his height. A man with an undeniable, ancient expression that even took the PhD scholar by surprise. "Excuse me," he said, as he continued on his way, but even then, he did not _not _hear Aidou's words.

"K-Kaname."

And then,

"Shit."

0-0

I was rummaging through the fridge for some ice, which surprisingly, was non-existent. I mean, how do you _not _have ice? You pay a couple thousand a year for school, and they didn't have ice. Unbelievable. I looked up at the mirror again, sighing at my image. My right eye was all puffed up and swollen, dark everywhere – I actually got a black eye. And I could _see _the black. This was embarrassing, but I wasn't going to wear an eye patch and there was no...bandage for your eye. I groaned again, wondering where the nurse was when I heard the door click open and...

Look at that.

"Kiryuu?"

* * *

Behold - my mediocre Grade 10 French, blame Canada's shitty education for any mistake but I figured since she _is _half French...it would be interesting to add. And I think we all know how horrible inaccurate Google Translate is. Rusty french, sorry. If any of you pick up on mistakes, do tell :) Sorry ~

+ And thank you to **Moka-girl** for correcting it!

Rough Translation, if you are curious:

**"Dad?"**  
**"Cadie! You're awake! I was worried about you when you didn't call this morning. We expected you to check in."**  
**"Sorry, I...what time is it?"**  
**"Ten o'clock, sweetie. The Headmaster called me because you were ill."**  
**"Ill?"..."Shit."**  
**"Try not to touch it, you fell on something."**  
**"I fell? Are you sure?"**  
**"That's what the nurse told me. Just relax, sweetie. The driver from the university will arrive soon."**  
**"Oh. Thanks, dad. But you didn't have to come here. I'll be okay."**  
**"Yes, it looks like it. But I wanted to make sure. Do you want anything from your room? I'll get it up for you."**  
**"No. Wait - thank you for coming. Oh, and I miss you and mom."**  
**"Of course, sweetie. I'll meet you at the entrance of the school in twenty minutes."**

**If the french is just too...inconvenient/confusing, do tell! I'll stop adding it between Kaede and her father. But if you don't mind and maybe even enjoy the difference...tell me as well, so I'll note it and use it in later chapters :)**

Oh, and yes - Cadie is her English/French name. So officially, in Japan, she would use her mother's surname and the name "Kaede = Misane Kaede. But anywhere else, she may go with her father's surname and English name, Cadie, or Cadence, Leroy. Just throwing that out there.

On another note, I was writing this story with the Canadian school year in mine - usually the two term, winter break, and then exam. And then another exam before the summer break. In Japan, I learned that it's a tri-semester sorta thing so I will be following that, but keeping the whole exam-after-break thing as opposed to the exam-before.

Anyway...speaking of school, I'm done grade ten! Exams are over! Thank the Lord I got by the year!

Long, long AN. Sorry.

Anyway, thank you for reading! Reviews would be lovely :)


	14. To Orbit the Sun

**A/N: There's a poll up! If you want me to write another story about VK character among other options, I'd really appreciate it if you vote for your choice :) Thanks!**

Chapter Fourteen: To Orbit the Sun

"Kiryuu," I said. My eyes darted to the door behind him, and my hands tightened around the edge of the corner behind me. I didn't like this – being alone in a room with someone I've always heard about but never really _met_. I knew that we would have been in the same grade, if he had not...went to school for a year. Something like that. I wasn't sure. I just didn't really want to be in an enclosed area with the guy who gave me this black eye. And I had a feeling I would end up being the one to apologize for it because it was simply in my nature. "Hello."

He cleared his throat. "About your eye..."

" - I'm sorry." I said immediately and wanted to hit myself for it. I blinked and then looked away, up into the ceiling and sighing, touching my hair before facing him again. I began to remember things, like being hit in the eye after Hanabusa and he appeared in my room. About what, I still did not know yet. Could not remember.

"I'm sorry," he said in a low voice and he looked just as uncomfortable as me. He looked at the ground so I looked up. A moment passed before he shuffled and straightened up again. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, thanks," I said quickly. He stared at me for another moment, his incredibly light eyes – his light _everything –_ on me before he nodded and left. But then he stopped, and sighed, turning around abruptly and walking towards me, then past me, to one of the cupboards to pull out an ice pack. "Oh," I said dumbly, for a lack of better words. He frowned when he touched the limp, liquid package.

"I can get you ice for that in the Headmaster's kitchen," he offered. It was strange. He didn't look like it would bother him, but he had this eternally, pained expression on his face. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but he didn't look quite happy either.

"That would be great, thanks," I said but even as I said this, I dreaded walking behind him for even a couple minutes. But eventually, I did and I stared at his back the entire time, or around me. A lot of people were leaving now, and they were all looking at me – the girl in pyjamas and socks, and no shoes walking behind the disciplinarian. I remembered when I used to be a part of the shadow, just hiding out in the library and going to the mandatory classes or otherwise being in my room, streaming shows or out, watching the stars. And yet, walking through the campus, in December nonetheless, in my sleepwear seemed to be becoming a habit.

He led me into the kitchen of the private quarters and pulled out a plastic bag, then filled it with ice before handing it to me. His eyes were on me, and there was that tortured sad look again but completely passive. "Here," he said as he dropped it into my hands.

"Thanks." Now what? You see? This was why I didn't want to follow him. To walk away would be...strange. But necessary. I sighed. "I'll get going then, thank you again. I can uh, see myself out." And he stared after me as I closed the door behind me. I took a peek down the corridor that was lit up with morning light – but one room caught my attention. And by one room, I meant the only one that wasn't absolutely quiet. And I was curious, so naturally, I crept along just right the door – and I heard a voice.

Not just any, but Kuran's.

"...this isn't the first time you broke a rule," he was saying. I heard a _hm _in agreement.

"If it was anyone else, you would be suspended by now. You've made several advances through out the years, but this was too far, Aidou." The Headmaster? Talking about Hanabusa – or rather directly to him? That meant he was in the room too, but I didn't hear him. And what rule was this? He was at my room, and I knew that it wasn't allowed between boy and girl, and Day and Night class...and it _did _say suspension was a possible punishment but...

"You've come too close to exposing our secret," Kurosu Kaien said sombrely, not sounding at all like the loud and over affectionate Headmaster that greeted me occasionally. And _what _secret? "And you're endangering my lovely, _innocent_ students. I don't know how to say this kindly but...Aidou, I strongly urge you to consider...well..."

"I'll say it," Kuran interrupted, "Aidou, perhaps you should move schools."

I held my breathe.

"By the end of this year," came Hanabusa's quiet, low voice, "I'll -"

"I don't think so," Kuran said, "you have more than enough credits. Perhaps you should graduate...now."

There was another pause and I was up against the door, trying to catch every word.

But at last, he answered. "Yes, Kaname."

Hanabusa was leaving -

Great, just great.

And that led my friend count back to one – or half, considering Akira was a dog.

0-0

"Papa," I called out, "_Où-es tu_?" [Dad, where are you?]

"_Ici_," [here] I heard a voice in the distant corner of the main lobby. There was my father, frowning.

"_Y a-t-il un problème?_" [Is there a problem?]

"_Non, j'ai rencontré ton ami, Aidou._" [No, but I met your friend, Aidou] He said slowly. I blinked.

_"C'est mauvais?_" [Is that bad?]

"_Non mais... lui as-tu dit que tu pars_?" [No but...did you tell him you were leaving?]

This was getting strange. I didn't want to be arrogant but...if he found out, could that have anything to do with his lack of reluctance to leaving? "_Non, mais nous partons l'année prochaine, non?_" [No, but we're leaving next year, no?]

"_Il semblait surpris, c'est tout."_ He shrugged. "_Allons-y. T'as dit au revoir à tous tes amis_?" [He seemed surprise, that's all. Let's go. Did you say bye to all your friends?]

I laughed at that idea. "P_arce que j'ai _beaucoup_ d'amis_." [Because I have _so_ many friends]

He gave me a dry look, muttering something about me undermining my self worth but I smile anyway. I was glad that I was wearing my sunglasses now so people wouldn't be staring at me, since we were already getting enough glances are way from the french conversation and...our ride. He nodded towards a black car...but not a car. A limousine. "_C'est la voiture_?" [This is the car?]

"_L'université veut faire une bonne impression. 'ton ami est un chercheur hautement recherché._" [The university wants to make a good impression. Your friend is a highly desired researcher] My father laughed, shaking his friend. I frowned.

"_Tu veux dire Aidou_?" [You mean Aidou?] I asked incredulously. I mean, I knew he was smart – but this smart? Really?

"_Tu vois? Tu as beaucoup d'amis – et oui, lui aussi,_" [You see? You have a lot of friends - and yes, him] my father said with a smile sent my way as he gave my single suitcase to a man to stuff in the trunk. I gave him a withering glance to which his eyes softened but he did not comment further. I walked around the limo, peering inside. I've been inside limos before, of course, just twice. Both were complimentary of some research hospital. Distractedly, I wondered if Hanabusa owned his own. I looked out the window as Cross Academy faded behind me, being consumed by the tall, shadowy trees.

Good bye, Cross Academy.

"_Es-tu prête_?" [Are you ready?]

I nodded. "_Ouais._" [Yeah]

"_Ensuite prochain arrêt, Tokyo."_ [Then next stop, Tokyo]

And in the back of my head, I said good bye to Hanabusa.

0-0

_Three days later..._

"Kaede!"

I looked up from my laptop, that was comfortably propped on my stomach as I laid on the couch, my legs sprawled out and blankets galore. "What's up?" I asked as I pulled out my earphones and leaned over to see my mother. She was standing in the entry to the kitchen, her long dark hair in a braid down her shoulders. She was wearing a plain shirt splattered in various paint, a belt on her hips holding brushes and towels as she hugged a can of paint. And she was wearing boxer shorts.

This was my mom. The half painter, half too-lazy-to-care. Ergo, the only woman that could ever be my mother.

"You can drive, right?" She asked as she stabbed a screwdriver onto the lid of a paint can. I blinked, and then sighed, putting aside my laptop and sitting up straight.

"No, mother," I said with a hint of irritation, "I can't." Even though I memorized where "green, yellow and red" was located on the stoplights, and able to notice the difference when it lit up, it just didn't quite cut it. She blinked, as if she forgot that her only daughter was an Achromatic – and she didn't. The thing was, whenever I was around, I acted too normally. I didn't _give _her a reason or any indication that I was disabled, I wasn't a constant reminder, I didn't need constant minding.

"Right, right," she stopped what she was doing and came to the couch, sitting down before standing back up gingerly when she remembered that she was nearly covered in stains. "Well, can you take the bus over to your dad's university? He left his cellphone here."

"He can do without," I groaned. I was _so _comfortable in my shorts and slippers, wearing nothing more than an over sized shirt that belonged to my dad. "Besides, he has no friends to call him anyway."

My mother shot me a look, but I just laughed. "I'm kidding, geesh, fine – okay. I'll go." I said as I get up. I really didn't mind. My eye was pretty close to healing and I simply had to steal my mother's concealer to hide up the worse of it. Over the past three days, I had done nothing more than watch shows online and ate food and as great as it was, movement was needed. I went up into my room, a tidy one my parents kept for me to return to, and stuck my arm out the window. It wasn't too cold out, so I changed into a pair of black jeans and threw on a simple, white shirt. I wanted something soft. So on went a too-big cardigan and scarf before I went back downstairs and grabbed my dad's phone after yelling a good bye to my mother. Slipping on knee high boots, I trudged back outside.

My parents lived out in the corners of the main city, a tedious forty minute bus ride away from the university. There were a ton of people out and despite the fact that I was in a private school for the majority of the year, I was used to it. I sat there with my headphones on, watching people behind my sunglasses. I didn't particularly enjoy people staring at my eyes – it looked strange with the lenses, let alone the dark circle that surrounded the formerly bruised ones.

Eventually I arrived and made my way to the international graduate studies on engineering, where my father, as a doctor of astrophysics and whatnot was testing out their new equipment. When I walked up to the counter, there was a young man sitting and typing away. I cleared my throat. "Hello?"

"Hi," he stopped, and his dark eyes flickered up to me – to the girl wearing sunglasses indoors – and smiled politely, "how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Dr. Leroy?"

"Ah yes," he clicked away at his computer before frowning, then looking down at his watch. "No one has signed in at our department of aeronautics and astronautics yet, and it's almost noon – perhaps he is at lunch?"

"Um," I took a moment to think about it. He probably was at lunch. Made sense. Didn't know why I had to think about it further. "Do you mind if I check in anyway?"

"Sure, here," he said as he typed away, "just wait a moment for me to print you a guest tag."

"Thanks," I said and my eyes wandered. I could see crowds of people walking in their own direction within the building, chatting away. There was a man leading a group of people, giving them a tour and I assumed it was because it was almost the start of the new year. He seemed incredibly apathetic towards the eager-eyed students that were several years older than me, and as he talked, he waved his hands instead of stopping in front of whatever it was he was talking about.

I heard the sound of the printer...printing. "Here you go."

"Thanks," I said and the secretary held out a clipboard, which I signed in and took the tag, looping the rope around my neck before saying goodbye. Then I stopped.

Another tour was coming right towards me.

A _private _tour.

My God, this guy was creepy.

"And this is our graduate department working on innovating technology that will one day go up to..."

I ducked my head and swung the other way, walking quickly to the other direction -

"Hey!"

I walked even faster, hand shading over my sunglasses.

"Hey, Kaede!" He shouted out again, waving his arms enthusiastically, a grin lighting up his face. With a reluctant sigh, I turned around slowly and gave him a tight smile, slipping off my sunglasses sluggishly.

"Hey Hanabusa," I said weakly as he jogged towards me, leaving behind a blinking old man, "your stalking tendency is getting out of control, you know?"

He smiled at me, completely unashamed but he looked as if he was hiding something – other than the fact he was...well, stalking me. He was wearing a contrasting white sweater over a darker button down, looking every bit like the privileged guy I thought he was. "Look good, Kaede, how's that black eye?" He said instead. Upon my disinterested stare, he continued. "How don't I know that _you're _the one stalking me, Misane?" He asked, throwing an arm casually over my shoulder.

"Aidou -" The man behind him began but I was frowning, picking up his arm and removing it off me as if it was full of germs.

"Right. You just _happen _to be exploring the department my father works in?" Then I remembered what I saw, or rather heard. He just grinned, giving me a smoldering look and I rolled my eyes. "While on this topic, I was eavesdropping earlier," I said bluntly. There was no way around it and I had been worried for the past several days that whatever crap he had gotten into by invading the girl's dorm, I would get sucked into it and punished as well. "I heard you were leaving."

He frowned at this, straightening up and his eyes narrowed at me. "Where did you hear this?"

"At school, where else?"

"Aidou -"

"Wait," he said, holding a hand up to the exasperate man. He leaned in closer to me. "And what else did you hear?"

I raised an eyebrow, curious. What was it again? "Something about you breaking a lot of rules. But not the point. You're not planning to come here, are you?"

Hanabusa still looked bothered, and his eyes didn't leave me although he turned his head slightly to acknowledge the man that had been trying to get his attention. "Can we postpone this tour later? I think I'd like to take my lunch break now," he said and you could tell from his voice he wasn't going to take a no for an answer.

"If you like," the man bowing his head slightly. Then he left. Strange. From what I saw of the earlier tour, the guy in charge seemed to be...well, the guy in charge. This man acted as if he was waiting on Hanabusa's every will – but I supposed money bought better service. I turned my attention back to Hanabusa. "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk."

"Do we now," I said and looked past his shoulder, hoping to see my father. "Hanabusa, look, if you're leaving – I wish you good luck and all. But um, I have to find my dad..."

"He's out."

"Out?" I frowned.

"Yes, out. I saw him leave with a colleague. Let's go for lunch." He said abruptly and the grabbed my wrist, walking me out.

"Hey!" I protested but Hanabusa didn't stop. I fumbled with my sunglasses before yanking – unsuccessfully – my arm away but he seemed intent on bringing me towards the food court. "What do we even have to talk about? Can't you just -" Nope, not the food court. He walked right by the ring of fast food joints at the central of the building, and towards the exit. "Where the hell are you taking me?"

"To somewhere private."

"Hanabusa, _stop_."

At last he did and turned around. The grinning Hanabusa was gone, the distracted one was gone, and now he simply looked surprise. He blinked. "What?"

"_What_?" I repeated. "You just manhandled me across the campus to go _talk_. I don't even know what we need to talk _about_." I crossed my arm. "And this isn't the first time you've forcibly brought me somewhere against my will, you know, and I don't know how to make it more clear that -"

He stared at me for a moment before tilting his head, his fair hair falling slightly along with it as he looked at me with an openly curious expression. "We're going to get lunch. It's on me."

I blinked.

"Oh. Well...okay."

0-0

"A chauffeur, really?" I asked, my face against my knuckles as I leaned out towards the window of yet another limo. "I sort of figured you to be more of the sports car type," I muttered.

Hanabusa yawned, stretching out his arms and legs before saying, "I like room to stretch, I left my Vanquish at home."

I stared at him. "Are you serious?"

One eye peeked out at me. "I made a joke?" Then he smiled and sat up straighter. "Maybe I'll show you her sometimes."

I groaned. "Oh. You're one of _those _type of people."

He raised an eyebrow, and shifted. He, who had been sitting in front of me, now moved next to me and I inched closer towards the window. It already felt private and intimate enough in this now too-tiny car, and him directly moving closer obviously did not help it. "What type?" He asked.

"The ones that objectify women by calling an inanimate object _she _therefore categorizing me and the entire female gender along with the lifeless toy meant to amuse -"

He raised up his palms, his eyes wide in defense. "Woah, wait! Calm down, Kaede, I didn't know -"

I didn't feel like talking about it anymore. "Where are we going anyway?" I asked, swift to change the topic. I looked back out the window, watching as the impossibly bright, city pass by behind me in a blur. This wasn't just any limo, after all, it was a Cadillac and if memory served me right, this was roughly the same one the President of the US gets driven in.

"To get lunch," he said with a hint of a pout.

"We just passed by like, ten burger places..."

His nose wrinkled up. "Was that what you want?"

"I'm not picky." I said but really, I just wanted to get out of this car. I mean, I'm okay with Hanabusa but I was never alone in a car with him before. I didn't want to say it was awkward in fear that it would suddenly make it awkward, but I would have rather much walked. Plus, my parents were probably wondering where the hell I was.

"Great, we're having lunch at my place."

"At your -" I stopped when the car slowed down to a stop in front of an impossibly huge house that was located in one of the inner neighbourhoods that I _swear _was reserved for just government officials or celebrities. "Hanabusa, who the _hell _are you?" I asked. I knew he was rich – everyone at Cross Academy was pretty well off, and I was just barely there – but this was pushing it. The driver opened the door for me, and I smiled at him, thanking him, as I got out before throwing Hanabusa a glance.

"What – what do you mean?" He stuttered, his eyes wide as if he was caught in a secret.

"Like, who are your parents? This -" I waved towards the mansion, "is a bit over the top, don't you think?"

"My father does business here, so we need a house in the city," he frowned as if it was obvious. I didn't want to ask what this _business _was, so I just played along.

"So this isn't your main house?" I asked slowly.

"Of course not. I like privacy." He said smugly, and I sighed, rolling my eyes. I had to remind myself that this was the same boy who taught me algebra and watched stars with me – otherwise, I would get lost in the extravagance that was Aidou Hanabusa. He held out his arm and I stared at him.

"What?"

His mouth twitched and he pulled his arm back. "Come on, lunch is starting." He pulled up the sleeve of his jacket as he walked up the steps from the circular lane way and into the porch.

My eyes ran over the entire thing. The limo was leaving the lane that circled around the garden framed with even, shoulder-high hedges. Everything was rimmed in snow, and that included the single tree in the middle that looked _too _perfectly decorated in white. There was a short set of stairs that led up to his entry, in which four pillars held up. It was a tall, at _least _three floored house with the usual slopping, tiled roof tops common in Japan except this was...well, a designer home. A perfect blend of pale wood, dark roofs, white walls and glass windows. The door was opened, of course, by a butler.

And I hated to sound like those teenage girls, but he was the most adorable old man. With a monocle and everything. "Master Hanabusa, welcome home." The old man greeted with a bright smile, bowing his head slightly without creasing the whole black, vest, long tail coat and bow tie to match.

"Hey," Hanabusa said, looking at me, "we have a guest. Do you mind setting up another plate?"

"Of course," he smiled, "will Akatsuki and Ruka be joining us?"

"Nope, they're at the Touya house," Hanabusa stepped in. "Come on, Kaede, what are you waiting for – an invitation?"

"It would make sense," I muttered. I wasn't used to all this splendour. How did this even happen? One moment, I was sitting at home, watching some generic show with good looking actors and actresses doing exciting things while epic music was playing in the background, and now I was walking into this mansion with its very own Alfred Pennyworth.

I removed my shoes at the entry and looked inside. I wasn't very surprised – expensive looking Japanese orientated decor, with a wide, entry with opened screened doors. Everything screamed out vast and grand. There were flowers here and there, portraits on the walls and beautifully made pottery on displays and ledges and I wondered, as pretty as it was, why anyone would buy a bunch of them.

"Come," Hanabusa called out, walking towards a twirling stair case and I sighed. Great.

"I thought we were just talking...and having lunch," I said nervously, looking around, seeing if anyone was home. He caught my gaze.

"Relax, no one's here but one of my sisters."

"One of your sisters," I repeated. Great, just great.

"Come on, let me show you my room," he said with an amused smile.

"Can't we talk down here...in the safety of the living room?" I asked, although I felt like even if I were to simply sit, I would ruin the whole movie-set like room. Hanabusa stopped for a moment, thinking, and then shrugged, muttering something about there being no secrets here. "So. Talk."

He opened his mouth, but didn't say anything. Then he gestured for me to sit down. This was getting even stranger. I sat but not without watching him, waiting. He sat on the arm of the couch and studied me. "What?" I asked, playing with my scarf to give my hand something to do.

"I don't know where to begin."

"_What _do we need to talk about again?" I asked, scratching my eyebrow. I somehow avoided the topic altogether in the ride here by looking out the window, but now, it was back front and centre. I leaned back but then shot straight up automatically when he became _too _close. "Wait, am I getting blamed for you coming into the dorm -"

He blinked, his eyes widening. "What? No -"

"Hanabusa."

He froze.

Behind him, past his shoulders, I saw a man walking in. He looked eerily like Hanabusa – they both had the same light complexion and, for lack of better word, colouring but his hair was slicked back and he was obviously much older. His father. He didn't quite so much as frown, but his face lost any easiness when he came closer into view and saw me. Immediately, Hanabusa shot up. "Father!"

"Hanabusa," he said strangely again, almost hesitant, "you have a guest."

"I – I wasn't aware that you were here." He said meekly, looking down. This was awkward. I felt as if I walked into something I _really _shouldn't have. Or rather dragged into.

"Your sister told me you were here, and I thought I would visit as well," he said slowly, "after all, I do own this house if I recall correctly." He exchanged a look with his son that looked internally conflicted but did not stop walking once he reached Hanabusa. Instead, he continued to walk. To me. _Ah, shit._ He held out a hand. "My name is Aidou Nagamichi," he introduced and I shook his hand lightly, but upon seeing Hanabusa's frantic eyes behind this man's shoulder, I tightened my grip. Firm handshakes meant confidence, did it not? Or was that just in the US? Was that considered rude in Japan?

Why was I thinking like a tourist?

Nerves. Right.

The older Aidou turned his head back to his son. "_I _wasn't aware that you had a guest."

"She's," Hanabusa stopped. I knew I had no real comparison, but with all the reading I had done, I suppose the right word to describe him in this moment was that he paled. And although he left his explanation hanging, he looked as if he gave up; his eyebrows pulled together and his eyes fell to the floor.

"Ah," Nagamichi said with understanding, "I suppose this is the Misane Kaede I've heard about?"

Did the Academy alert his father already of his expulsion? Shit. That meant I _was _in trouble. Fantastic. That must have been what Hanabusa wanted to talk to me about - he was lying earlier, probably to keep me caln. But the moment he said my name, Hanabusa's eyes flashed up and he looked at me pleadingly. I knew that look instantly.

He wanted me to cover for him?

I can do that.

"Uh, no sir," I said with a polite smile, "my name is actually Cadence Leroy." Ah, how I love truths. "I'm from the, um," think, Kaede, _think_, "the university."

Nagamichi frowned. "The university?"

Hanabusa nodded eagerly behind me, pressing me to go on with his eyes. "Yes, the Tokyo University of the Science department, Astronomy in particular." Why, _why _didn't I say my father's – the Astronautics one? Yes, my father held a doctoral degree in Astronomy and spoke a little to me about the process – but I had _nothing _to lie on. I knew nothing about the actual work of that department and I just wished I had more time to work on lie. Shit. At least if I had said Astronautics, I would've known about what he was doing – what Hanabusa would supposedly be doing.

"Ah," Nagamichi nodded, although his eyes remained on his son. I blinked and then...

Blabbered on.

"I was here on an informal plea on behalf of our department, you see," I said quickly, "we'd really appreciate your son's knowledge on physics and hope he continues onto astrophysics, so that he could be a consultant on one of our conjunction projects with the astronautics engineering department." Yes. This could work. I _sounded _a bit informed. Hanabusa's eyes brightened, and he was staring at me with awe, so of course, I continue. "I'm sorry if this was um, too invasive."

"Not at all." He turned to Hanabusa. "I wasn't aware that you were interested in...that area of science."

"It's a new hobby," he laughed nervously, fingering his hair.

"Right." New hobby. New hobby that I think I got him into. "Your son is incredibly talented."

"Right," Hanabusa agreed. What a modest guy – but then when I looked at him again, his nervousness was obvious on his face. The usual cool, charismatic Hanabusa was no more. Who ever thought he was the type to falter under family pressure. Then again, remembering the incident a couple weeks ago when he told me about this _case _with this _girl_, I suppose I should have been expecting this.

"You haven't told me earlier," his father said, suspicious.

"We were preoccupied with other matters," Hanabusa said almost snappishly, and then added quietly, "earlier."

Cue the awkward silence.

I would like to say that they were staring at each other uncomfortably but that wasn't the case. Nagamichi was openly staring coolly at his son, but Hanabusa had his eyes on the ground.

Oh geez.

"It's a really great field to get into," I said slowly and swiftly walked closer so it was no longer their not-quite stare down, but now a conversation of three. "There's even an opportunity of going into space one day, of being an astronaut."

"An astronaut?" Nagamichi repeated, raising an eyebrow. He looked faintly interested and I couldn't tell if it was out of politeness, or if it was genuine.

"If he prefers an up-and-close observation to the very thing he studies, it's a definite possibility. Or," what else can I say? Lie, lie, lie, Kaede, lie more. "He can have a hand in building the space craft to," I forgot – astro_physics_, "making sure that it's safe to go up to space. Of course, the field goes much more in the theoretical sense as well and continue to study stars, galaxies, planets, other celestial objects like -

"Now now, Kaede -" Hanabusa stopped, "Cadence," he corrected, "you don't have to bore my father about this sort of thing."

Nagamichi didn't look convinced, but I guess I took it far enough that he didn't want to further hear about it. "I suppose it would quite a feat to see Aidou Enterprises' logo on a space craft," he murmured. Then he cleared his throat, turning around. "Well, I'll leave you to it then." His hand clamped down on Hanabusa's shoulder. "I'll see you at dinner, Hanabusa."

"Of course." He couldn't meet his eyes and as soon as Nagamichi was out of sight, I let out a huge breath that I didn't realize I had been holding in. Hanabusa stared after him for a long moment before sighing as well and turning back to me. "Kaede," he said, with an expression I couldn't place, "Kaede, you are an _angel_."

I laughed. "Thanks."

"No, really," he took a step closer to me and put both his hands on my shoulders, leaning down so that we were eye to eye, "thank you. So much."

I shrugged. "It's what I do. Although _why _I am lying, I don't exactly know – and I don't really want to know but I doubt your father will believe it if he gives it even a single other thought."

"I can handle it then, don't worry." Hanabusa's mouth perked up into a small, almost shy, boyish smile.

And I smiled too. I couldn't help it. There was something about seeing new sides of a person that tugged at a girl's heart.

And then I realized what was happening and quickly changed gears. I cleared my throat, swinging around and releasing his hold. "So," I said as I moved the hair away from my face, my eyes meeting his, "Aidou Enterprises...what are you, Batman?"

He looked at me strangely, and that smile of his deepened. I could _see _that he was thinking about something in the way his expression shifted. "Sure," he said distractedly and I'm almost a hundred percent sure he wasn't really listening. His voice wasn't so much as tired as it was...I didn't want to say _soft _or _gentle _but..."I guess I am."

0-0

_Two weeks later..._

"Hey, Hanabusa!"

He turned around to see a grinning girl making her way towards him, bumping against a trolley of books before finally stumbling to the table, dropping her textbook and papers. Kaede was a mess. She flicked back her hair impatiently before sitting down. Hanabusa frowned. "You're late," he said with a twitch of his mouth. He didn't like to be kept waiting.

She grinned anyway. "Hey, do you wanna hear a joke?" She asked instead, completely ignoring his rightfully made accusation.

"Not really," he mumbled tiredly, the side of his face resting against his fist as he yawned. His eyes wandered the nearly deserted library. Strange, there were exams next week and no one seemed to be quite worried about it. He heard her fumble as she set up papers and then reach down to her bag to grab some pens.

"Why did all the fruits left out the grape?"

He sighed then rubbed his eyes tiredly. He had been waking up early for so long now but he was still not quite used to it. "Why?" He asked, his eyes, half open, steadily on her hazel ones. She wasn't wearing her contacts today, he noticed distractedly. And the bruise had completely healed. He mindlessly watched the way the light from the window behind him played on the colours of her eyes, brightening the flecks of greens while setting back the amber tone.

And he watched as she tried to bite down a grin, failing.

"Because it always _whined_."

And then she exploded into a manic fit of laughter, wiping away an invisible tear before slamming her head down onto the table, into her arms. Her body shook with laughter and she gasped for air, her hand hitting the table. Eventually after several wheezing moments she came up again, clapping her hands together like a seal, not breathing. And he simply stared at her. Not amused, but amazed. Not by her joke, but by her reaction.

"Oh my God."

Aidou Hanabusa was in love with an idiot.

* * *

A rather long chapter because it originally was split into two chapters, but I felt that the first half was too...uneventful. Thank you to **moka-girl _  
_**for all the help on the French! And in case you didn't get the joke - the grape _whined _as in _wine_. Get it? GET IT? Idk. I laughed pretty hard but that's just me. I like bad jokes and just felt like slipping that in. Anyway...

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter though! Finally things are picking up :') Hopefully, not too fast for y'all. Reviews would be lovely :)

Have a good summer everyone! And Happy Canada day!


	15. A Flare's Reprisal (I)

Chapter Fifteen: A Flare's Reprisal (I)

He was in love with her.

Aidou Hanabusa had fallen for a human and he had no idea when had it happened. He didn't know if it was when she lied her butt off in front of the aristocrat vampire with that bright, nervous smile of hers; he didn't know if it was when he had drank from her neck and it felt like for once in his life, the thirst was quenched; he didn't know if it was the first time he had dragged her to tutoring and she had opened the door with that messy hair and sleepy eyes; and he didn't know if it was the first time he had ever met her and she was talking so earnestly about something as frivolous and far-fetching like stars.

But either way, it had happened.

She was still saying "Oh God, oh God, I am hilarious" and wiping away that tear when he blinked and stared at her. Eventually, she settled down and took few deep breathes. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's do this."

But he couldn't get his mind into it. He cleared his throat before opening her textbook to the first chapter review, where he planned to make her do every single chapter test so that she would be prepared for the exam. "All right," he said, avoiding all eye contact with her, "let's start from the top with sequences and series."

"Wait, wait," she said and she reached down again, one arm shoulder deep into her bag. She came back up with hand sanitizer and a contact lenses case. Cleaning her hands thoroughly, she opened unscrewed the lid and carefully dipped the tip of her finger into an oddly coloured, tiny red lens and tilted back her head. She popped one in, and then the other. Then she blinked, staring at him wide eyed and gone was the hazel and now it was the strange, reddish brown colour. "I'm good to go."

He looked at her curiously, his eyebrows pulling together. "Is that really necessary indoors?"

"It's sort of necessary everywhere." She shrugged. "Alright, so sequins and -"

"Seq_uence_," he corrected quickly. He flipped the pages with deft, quick fingers. "Read through the curriculum expectations and make sure you know how to complete all of it, and then," he paused to go to the chapter review page, "I want you to do all the questions."

She stared at him. "You're kidding."

"Why would I be kidding?" He frowned. "It's the quickest way to learn it."

"_That's _the quickest?" She repeated incredulously.

"Unless you have a fantastic memory."

She groaned, and then, "and I suppose you have photographic one?"

"It's actually called eidetic memory, and yes, I happen to have it," he said haughtily with a grin. She rolled her eyes.

"Not batman then," she murmured, "maybe Professor X."

He stared at her. "What?"

She stared back at him. "X-Men?" He continued to stare and she groaned. "Geez, you need to watch more movies."

He rolled his eyes. "I have better things to do."

She leaned in. "Like what?"

"Sleep."

She smiled at that. "And as a kid?"

"Experiments. Reading. Learning languages, customs, history," he mumbled, his eyes moving distractedly.

She muttered something about over-privileged little boys before saying louder, "what languages?"

"The necessary ones."

"That being..."

"The UN official languages: English, French, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic...and Italian, Japanese." He said without too much thought, as if he knew this like the back of his hand.

She grinned. "_Je peux parler français._" [I can speak French]

His eyes flickered up to her and he did not deny that there was something that made him want to grab her and rip off the ribbon tied over her chest and unbutton her jacket because of that perfect french accent of hers. And although he was staring at her mouth as she spoke, he still did not want his thoughts too obvious so with the same bored tone, he said, "_incroyable_" [amazing]. She gave him a look before sighing, sitting back up straight again. He spun the textbook so that it was sitting on the table directly in front of her, sliding it closer. "So are we ready to start this?"

"Yep." She had her finger tips on her temples, pushing back the hair that fell over her eyes as she read the book and he wanted to laugh because it looked as if she was having a headache from simply reading the material by the disgusted look on her face.

He remembered the first time he had seen her and thought she was on the plainer side, but with each day, he noticed the little things like the hints of her French ancestry in her bone structure, in the shape of her eyes but evidence of Asian descent in the softness of her features, the skin tone, the lips. He remembered once that she told him her grand mother was a redhead, so it was a recessive trait and he wondered if they had kids, if they would have bright red -

Wait.

_What_?

"...all the light is giving me a headache..."

Was he just _thinking _about the appearance of their child? A _future _child?

"...plus this chapter is really easy, so can we just skip this session and..."

He was a vampire, for God's sake, and she was a _human_.

"...double the work next time?"

He looked at her. "What?"

"I have a headache. It's been sunny lately and the snow reflects the light -"

"Look at that, physics."

She gave him a withering glance. "The point is, can we just cancel?"

He could see the twitch in her eye, and noticed that she _did _look unwell. _I guess it wasn't from learning_. "Sure," he stood up, "no problem. I want to catch up on sleep anyway."

"Not enough sleeping in the Aidou Manor, Hanabusa?" She asked with a hint of a smile as she put away all the books.

"What?" He scratched the outer corner of his eye before answering. "Firstly, it's not a manor because it isn't on a large estate. It's more of a mansion," he said and she rolled her eyes, "and secondly, I don't usually wake up this early."

"Why I feel honoured then." She said as she slipped on her sunglasses and straps over both side of her shoulders. His eyes ran down this girl in perfect uniform, and he frowned. The idea of Kaede in such neat, pristine clothing was still odd to him, he wasn't used to her coming to the library by her own will instead of being dragged mid-way through a nap. As she tossed out the hair that was beneath the bag, he snapped out of his dazed observation and answered.

"You should," he said quietly. She really had no idea.

0-0

Although I was beginning to have a headache, I decided to stop by the Headmaster's office to talk about possible transfer into the Night class for the rest of this term. Despite the fact that it was winter, the days were still just as bright and this unnecessary suffering was...well, exactly that. Unnecessary. And over the break, I had already talked to my parents about transferring since why not? I was leaving the school anyway. My parents agreed to side on me and be more persistent on the matter as an added Christmas present on top of the one I received – a hoodie. I know, it didn't sound like much but I've always had a love for all things soft and it was the sort of expensive hoodie you would never buy for yourself but want regardless.

Obviously, I was never spoiled growing up. Medical and private school bills rack up a large debt and my father, although has a respectable and steady job that paid higher than the average, and my mother, a free lance artist, they was never one to lavish me in gifts. And I was completely okay with that.

I eventually arrive in the secretary-less office and knocked on the door, hearing the singy-song voice of the Headmaster to come right in.

"Hey, Headmaster," I said with a small smile. He had always been nice – too nice, if anything – but...well, all my attempts in the past to transfer was met with failure and I could only hope this time would be different because I was leaving. "I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

"Go right ahead," he said a overly-inviting smile as he flourished his hand for me to sit on the chair. I stared before sighing, and sitting down. "So what can I help you with today, Misane? More Akira business? Student success? Or is it the -"

"I'd like to transfer to the Night Class."

"..."

"..."

He laughed.

_Hard_.

And I just stared at him, confused, until I finally have enough of this ridiculous respond. If I were one for fits, I would probably stomp my feet or slam the table but instead, I just stood up. "Sir, _why _do you always laugh -"

He didn't stop.

" - it's a perfectly reasonable request!"

He wouldn't even look at me.

"You know about my eye condition, and all the snow and the sun this year is making it _increasingly _stressful and my father told you already that I was leaving this year, so I was hoping that this third and final term, I could just transfer to the Night class after exams. I don't have to move dorms, and I can pay for the new uniform. But _seriously_."

He stopped laughing and looked at me suddenly very steadily in the eye. "I'm sorry, Misane, but that is just impossible."

"But _why_?" Honestly, what more of an eligible reason to going to class at night – when there were no light to obstruct and blur my vision – than well...having my vision obstructed and blurred?

"You don't fit the credentials."

"Is it an academic thing? Because I can promise you I'll pull up my marks if -"

"Nope, nope, can't do that at all." He chirped away. "Actually, while on this topic, I haven't asked you yet...how are you?"

"How am I? Well, my eyes are sore half the times and the other half, I get raging headaches _because _of-"

"No, no, silly," he waved his hand at me, "not about that. About the incident with Zero. I can see that the black eye is gone. You know that it was an accident, don't you?"

I frowned. "Of course I do." I would rather not talk about it. A couple weeks ago when Hanabusa had drove me home after the confrontation with his father, he told me not to worry about being in trouble at the Academy, and that he took all blame for it. But then suddenly, I come back and he told me he wasn't leaving either – wasn't suspended or punished in anyway. I didn't ask why, but I assumed it had something to do with the fact that he was an asset in some way.

"Annnnnnd, you're fine? Not at all light headed, nauseated, craving a certain food..."

What? "Well, like I said, I would be a lot better -"

But before I was finished, I was shoved out of the office and left alone in the dark corridors.

So I failed. Again. Fantastic.

0-0

The moment Hanabusa arrived back to the Moon dorm, he had to drag his foot up the stair case in the eerily silent dormitory. No one was awake at this ungodly hour of four o'clock, with perhaps the exception of Senri and Rima who may be out doing some photo shoot. But not Akatsuki, of course, not the cousin whom he had spent the winter break with, along with his other cousin Ruka.

After he had left his residence in the city, he went back to his more private villa. Ruka had decided to spend several nights with her only other female friend, and of course, she dragged Akatsuki along with her so that she could use him as her very own clothing rack. Not to mention when they all at last reunited at the Aidou villa, nearly all of the things in Akatsuki's luggage had been Ruka's. But they fell back into the same routine of just the three cousins together.

It was the usual break. Dinners, and soirees and parties and a masquerade ball but it was nothing more too extravagant. Vampires didn't tend to acknowledge the change in just a single year – living for centuries and in some cases, immortality, made changes in decades worth noticing - not just 365 measly days.

He remembered when he found joy from all those events, especially if Kaname would attend. A pureblood presence always excited a crowd. But instead, the break had dragged on uneventfully.

His father was proud once again, and Hanabusa had heard him laugh about hearing their family name up in the space some day. Yes, he was informed of Hanabusa's...incident with Kaede and the name was now beginning to pique an interest but in the grand scale of thing, the idea of an aristocrat such as himself ever being with a human was implausible. Nagamichi decided to ignore the entire event – Hanabusa had messed up Akiyama, true, but that would one day have serious collateral issue. But a human was a one time stint.

Frivolous fun, yes, but a future?

Impossible.

And Hanabusa had laughed and nodded, agreeing. _Of course, dad, that's absurd. I was just...you know. _

He was just enjoying his time with her.

That was all.

(Except, of course, it wasn't.)

0-0

He laid in bed, a bit before dawn, and watched the colours played on the ceiling of his room. He had allowed the evening light to peek through the curtains, and watched with an observant intellect's eye instead of artistic ones as the oranges played above him. And yet there were shadows. Black on orange.

He wondered if _she _knew how this look liked.

And then Hanabusa thought about the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis that, in short, theorized that one's perception of the world and their own thoughts were influenced by language. In other words, if there was a name – a word for it – it would change how they think about it. And so he imagined a mini Kaede, a tiny little girl with short, maybe boyish hair and bright hazel eyes, scribbling a picture and thinking it looked _exactly _like the sunset he saw, only to be stared at by others. To be whispered. To be laughed at. _What the hell is that? Is the sky gray, the sun green? Why are the sun rays red, the clouds purple? _

And then he imagined doctors staring at her like an anomaly. They would tell her parents that she had achromatopsia, that she was not the misconceived "colour blind" where she could not distinguish colour, but she just _could not see colour_. Period.

And then the world that Kaede had seen – the neutral, varying gray world – would suddenly be classified as _different_. That, he supposed, was when the hypothesis would kick in and she would realize she would never be the same as anyone else. But before that, before there was a name for it, she was probably living just like everyone else.

Did he pity her for that?

Maybe.

He was curious about her life. He was curious about what it felt like to not be able to go outside without some sort of eye protection. He was curious about the way she grew up. About...about vampire genetics in the blood that made him impervious to nearly all diseases and disorders. He wondered what would have happened if she consumed it...if she had woken up when he fed her his blood in a desperate attempt to strengthen her pulse – would she have seen colour?

He looked down at his hands, blinking when he brought it up. He didn't realize he had been holding the glass lens of the broken telescope. Slowly, he brought it closer to his eye, watching the way the light refracted off the prisms, the way a rainbow was hidden in the glass.

It was almost beautiful.

And then for the first time in awhile, Hanabusa did not think about Kaede as this human girl. He thought about her as a test subject, a patient.

He was going to find a way to cure her achromatopsia.

He got up quickly, the bed creaking underneath his weight and of course, Akatsuki automatically groaned and threw his arm over his head, covering his ears with the pillow but Hanabusa paid no attention to him. He was consumed with excitement, the way he always felt before some sort of project. It didn't even have to be a _scientific _project. It could be...well, it could be collecting junk that Kaname broke but that wasn't the point. He left the Dorm and right back into the late afternoon outdoors, flinching slightly but stubbornly going forth anyways.

_I could do this. I could find a cure. I know I can_. Because surely, vampires wouldn't be paying attention to disorder and diseases like this, right? They would be...working on cancer, viruses, fatal biological errors. Not glitches that just made life more difficult. But he supposed first...he had to tell Kaede his plan. And that meant telling her he was a vampire.

And he grinned at the prospect of that.

Why had he been scared of keeping it a secret again?

0-0

He told her it abruptly and all in a blur.

And she stared.

But she did not scream, not when he found her leaving the office of the Academy, not when he grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her to a corner where there was no one around. She just stayed completely calm as he said in a rushed voice _I know how to make you see again – really see. I have an idea. And it's because I'm a vampire. I can help you. You want to see, don't you? The world in colour? I know you do. You _have _to want to. And I'll be the one to solve your problem – all the problems! _

First, he sounded like a madman. But then she saw that he was completely serious, and completely thrilled about this idea and she was about to tell him that she had been to plenty of hospitals and doctors have inspected all parts of her eyes, that she had volunteered to let them gather _painful _samples just to find a single, working cone that would be able to gather the light and recognize it as a colour to her brain and -

Wait.

"Vampire?" She repeated.

And then it hit her.

"_Vampire_." She groaned, slapping her head. "Oh my God, that makes _so _much sense! _That's _why I can't join the Night Class – and that's why there's even a Night class, am I right? And everyone is supposedly perfect but they usually keep to – oh geez. I can't believe it," her words were racing just as his was and she completely slid by the fact that he was not a human. She pulled his hands off of her. "Now I can go back and tell the Headmaster that I know, and that I don't care as long-"

This was not the reaction he had expected.

She didn't seem convinced at all that he could help her, in fact, she didn't even mention it. And then she didn't care that he was a vampire, she didn't ask if he had sucked her blood – which he had – and instead, she was going to talk to the _Headmaster _about it? "Wait!" He demanded, his thoughts slowing down now. "What – what do you mean? That's...that's all you have to say?"

"Look, I _really _have to -"

"You're not afraid?" He pressed. Did he _want _her to be afraid? To be frightened? Or did he just want her to know that he was dangerous and capable of _hurting _her?

But instead, she just stared at him with those murky coloured eyes, the once almost pretty ones that were now hidden behind the red contacts. She heard his confused tone, a clear distinction from the frantic one from earlier, and slowed down as well. "Not really," she said hesitantly, staring at him as if _he _was the crazy one, "I mean, you've been at this school longer than _I _have. And there hasn't been any...I don't know, blood-drained deaths. Or any deaths. And no offence but we," the royal we, "have been romanticizing vampires – uh, your kind – for a couple years now and it doesn't really change much..and that isn't important. Sorry, Hanabusa, but this is great. It all makes sense – I have to go talk to the Headmaster but I'll talk to you later, alright? Promise."

He knew that he should not have high expectations when it came to Kaede but this response was just...unbelievable. How could she _not _react? Did she not care if he was a vampire – but he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. He already knew how she thought of him as a human: too smart, too confident. Like a shiny robot. Disposable. Only worth her time when...wait. She had never once approached him before, only to return the telescope. All the other times, it was _him _coming to _her. _And now, as a vampire, he was still nothing. And he couldn't accept that.

Suddenly his arm reached out and his fingers wrapped around her wrist and the back of his mind flashed back to the moment when he held her down, when he had his lips on her neck...

"Hanabusa, what are you -"

"There's one thing that I also haven't mentioned."

She looked conflicted. "Well, can it wait until -"

"I don't know," he lifted her wrist to his mouth, brushing his lips just slightly against the pale skin. He could see the blue underneath and it was as if everything he had repressed was bursting to the surface. "Can it?"

Her eyebrows pulled together. "What the hell – what type of sick joke are you playing?"

"Did you think I was kidding about being a vampire?" He asked and he didn't know when it had happened, but something...shifted. Maybe it was when he realized that he, for once, was not the power in a relationship. He was the one constantly reaching and Kaede continued on her own and now, it was time to reap his rewards...

Again.

"Let me _go_," she said, looking around for any witnesses before her eyes flashed back to him. He didn't know if she was doing that for her sake, or his. "Hanabusa, this isn't funny. Don't do this."

Out loud this time, he said, "...again."

She stilled and stopped thrashing immediately. Her voice dropped, chillingly steady. Her eyes were on his – and she could see that they had deepened to some...stranger, not quite _permanent _colour. Very slowly, she said, "again?"

And before he could answer, her left hand slapped across his face.

* * *

Bam. Last update until August. Things happened, lazy writing occurred...but hopefully a passable and decent while eventful chapter! Reviews would be lovely :)

Oh, and I think I mentioned this before but there's a poll out on my profile! If you want to vote for a character for me to centre my next story about, go right ahead!

Thanks for reading!


	16. A Flare's Reprisal (II)

Chapter Sixteen: A Flare's Reprisal (II)

Akatsuki could not sleep in this damn dormitory. Private? As if. He threw his long legs over his bed, not even bothering to button up his shirt as he made his way downstairs. If it wasn't for the fact that Rima and Senri had left a couple hours ago on an assignment sent by the Senate, Akatsuki wouldn't have even bothered opening the door for the vampires -

Vampire.

His eyes widened.

And then closed it, tired.

"_Akiyama_."

Oh, great.

0-0

People called Aidou Hanabusa an idiot.

And they were right.

He was immature. _Incredibly _immature. As he watched Kaede retreat with a not quite frightened, but disgusted and confused expression on her face, he realized the weight of the mistake he had made. He could have gotten away with it – no one wanted to bring up the fact that a vampire broke a rule, after all. Kaname didn't even care. It wasn't his precious Yuuki. _That _disciplinarian wasn't involved. The Headmaster was willing to let it slip by as well in his delusion that Hanabusa had learned from his mistake and felt enough turmoil to never do it again. Even his own father disregarded the situation.

And yet, _he _was the one to bring it up.

He stared after her, her burgundy hair that was just a flash before she disappeared around a corner. And he looked after her with a stricken expression and he knew that this time, she wasn't going to be forgiving. After all, he didn't deserve a second chance. Then again, she didn't even knew there was anything to be forgiven the first time.

And then he blinked when he realized something.

He could easily save himself all of this self-loathing by simply _un_loving her.

It was completely plausible.

She was a human. It shouldn't be hard.

Or at least he did not expect it to be.

0-0

Akatsuki cleared his throat out for the third time since the greyish blonde haired girl in front of him had arrived, supposedly invited by Hanabusa _before _the disastrous event, to which they had never once again met, to visit Cross Academy. And here she was with a shiny designer suit case in hand and wearing a dress beneath her coat as if she was going on some sort of date. "I don't know _where _he is," Akatsuki said tiredly. He leaned his elbow against the door, sighing before turning his head slightly to look over his shoulder to where an audience had built. Ruka pulled the shawl around her shoulders tighter, frowning at the other noble vampire. Further behind her was Takuma, leaning over the railings of the staircase to the point that Akatsuki wondered if he was planning to flip over altogether. His eyes were lit with innocent interest.

"He has that tutor program right now," he chirped in helpfully. Akatsuki sighed. Again.

"Yes, but he came back early to rest...and then left again half an hour ago. I don't know where he went."

Maemi stared at them – all three – before taking a step in. "Well, in that case, may I impose on you to keep my belongings here until he returns? I don't mind waiting quietly downstairs. I hope I haven't interrupted you too much." She said quietly.

They couldn't say _no _and yet -

"Did you check in at the main campus?" Ruka questioned with a tilt of her chin. Akatsuki stared at her, amazed. Amazed at this bold, fearless but incredibly harsh woman. "We can't just entertain guest simply because _Hanabusa _says so. He's under probation as it is."

Akatsuki wondered if Ruka was doing this for their cousin's benefit, or for her own. He honestly could not tell. He knew that Ruka had always had a disdain for anything she found not up to her standards, but the girl in front of them _was _a noble, after all. Regardless, there was a wordless, obviously female stare-down going on and even Takuma excused himself. Akatsuki looked away uncomfortably.

"I'll just, ah, go look for him then."

"Hm." Maemi, thoughtful.

"Hm." Ruka, suspicious.

0-0

I found myself, yet again, in front of the Headmaster's office but the moment I placed my hand on the knob, I couldn't turn it. I didn't have it in me to burst in and tell him that I am completely okay with learning alongside vampires. Even thinking that sounded wrong.

I was under reacting to everything, I knew that.

And when I went in my room and closed the door, I still didn't know how I should act to this news. I stared at the door with my hand in the knob, stopping everything to try and process what I had just been told. Okay. So for the past several years of my life, vampires went to school with me. Vampires existed. Creatures that drink blood in order to live existed. And yet...why was I not shocked? I told Hanabusa it was because there were so many stories and it eased in the idea of getting your blood and that was partially true but maybe I just wasn't _absorbing _this fact yet because Hanabusa seemed so _normal_. Was I really willing to ignore this simply so I could have a more comfortable school life – and on _what _level would studying alongside vampires be more comfortable?

But it wasn't like I attracted attention. I'm sure as soon as the novelty of _fresh blood _wore off, I would be a recluse once again.

Did I just refer to myself as fresh blood? Geez -

My hand flew to my neck.

Nothing was there – _nothing_.

And I didn't remember anything...was memory wiping another vampire -

This was beginning to sound ridiculous. I groaned, throwing off my jacket, blouse and tie and slipping off my skirt before jumping in bed with nothing more than socks, bra and underwear and wrapped my blanket tight around me. I didn't want to think anymore. On one hand, I felt like a wall had shattered and now I know "the Truth" but another part of me was telling me to just ignore it, to repress it all, to go on and continue with the way I have lived because I'll only be here for three more months.

I groaned again – and then a sharp pain made me curl up even more.

Great. Here came the headache.

0-0

Cross Academy had the most ridiculous idea about not allowing students to keep medicine in their rooms and because the dorm supervisor was _nowhere _to be found, I was forced to make a mission in the middle of the night to the Headmaster residence where I knew they had Tylenol. Yes, I could have knocked on several doors and asked for anyone who surely kept a secret stash of all your prescription and non-prescription drugs but I dread to imagine what it would be like the next day when I would see wide eyes and whispers of _hey! Guess who talked to me last night – yeah, the blind chick! _I shuddered at the image of all the fingers to be pointed my way.

Now with the knowledge of vampires – yes, creatures of the night that feasted on the living – living within walking distance, I made my way to the makeshift kennel downstairs after pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie baggy enough to make me look like a convict, not that I needed much of protection with my dog around. Akira, being a beautiful German shepherd and completely able to jump onto my shoulders when on his hind legs, could act as my wolf. Wolves hated vampires...right? Or was that a legend? Then again, weren't vampires -

Too much thinking.

With my forehead still throbbing, I walked to the corridor and immediately heard nails scraping and a low welcoming bark followed by further rattles on the chain. Akira always knew when I was coming and that brought me a ridiculous amount of happiness.

"Hey baby," I whispered despite the fact this was a 94 pound dog. I ruffled his fur collar, leading him out the cage. He pawed at my knees and I bent down to hold his face in my hands, saying quietly in French, "_allons-y une promenade_" [Let's go for a walk]. My mother had given me this beautiful baby puppy before we had left our home in France when I was five years old to move to the States. I had brought Akira along with me – from Paris, to Cambridge, to Nagano where Cross Academy was located on the fringe of. I wasn't completely sure if Akira understood French, English _and _Japanese – despite the fact that he was surrounded by those three languages constantly and interchangeably all his eleven year life – but he knew that _promenade _meant a walk and he was completely up for it.

I slipped my feet into boots and pulled on a jacket as Akira sat anxiously wagging his tail, his tongue hanging out. "Quiet, boy, we're going to get in trouble," I whispered in a hushed tone, wrapping my neck in a scarf, "come on." I left the door slightly ajar because surely, there was no reception in the dormitories and I would hate to be stuck on campus during January in the middle of the night. Akira took off running and I sigh -

But then I stopped.

Because things felt so..._normal_.

For the first time in a while, I felt okay. Sure, I had this headache but stepping out, feeling the snow on my foot and hearing Akira's heavy breathing as he jumped and wrangled in the snow that was lit up by the lamps brought me a sense of...normalcy. And happiness. I grinned, chasing after him so glad that there were lights circling around the frozen lake not too far away. Even with monochrome in mind, everything held almost a _warm _glow. But I felt happy and light and I was grinning and laughing and I felt like in his own dog language, Akira was laughing too.

And I almost forgot about the fact that there were vampires and that I was bitten by one...until Akira started going insane.

He went from his excited bark to a violent one in an instant – which was okay because German shepherds were alert, fearless, and above all protective – but instead of standing of front of me fiercely defending me from whatever harm he perceived, he ran _right _towards the threat but stopped immediately and began whining, his head and ears down.

Now _I _was the one protective.

"Hey!" I called out, running out to my dog and bent down to run my fingers through his fur. Akira had no leash but holding onto him worked just fine – not that it was allowed but hell, if I was out with a dog at two in the morning, the last thing on my mind was going to get a little rope to hold back a dog. My eyes strained to see what had scared my usually fearless dog but there weren't lights in the shade of the trees. "Who's there?"

And then someone stepped out.

My first thought was that this was a vampire. She _had _to be. She was too pretty _not _to be.

The girl had light hair, light skin, light everything that was obvious now that she had stepped away from the cover of the trees. Her skin and eyes practically blended in with the snow at her feet. "Who are you?" I asked, gaining confidence to take place of Akira who was now behind me. I felt his muzzle on the back of my leg and a gentle nip on my heel telling me to go back. The whine was discerning enough and remembering his behaviour towards Hanabusa and Ichijou...I was beginning to get worried myself.

"I – I'm a guest here," she said softly. She sounded...shy. For someone with an angelic-sort of beauty, I was surprised at the fact that she _stuttered_. I thought I was the one that tripped over words.

"Oh."

There was silence and Akira barked.

"Well...I, um, I don't exactly know the protocol but I'm guessing visiting hours are over..." My voice trailed off along with her blank stare.

"I'm here for a Night Class student," she said hesitantly.

So I was right.

Behind me, Akira continued to pull at the hem of my sweats. I knew he was anxious – surprisingly _not _angry but just plain nervous – so muttering a "well, all right" I continued to the Headmaster's residence only to stop again when I heard her protest. "Wait, wait!" She called out. She practically glided like a ghost across the white snow, her hair drifting behind her and it was as if she came right out of a fairy tale movie. "Are you heading to the administration's office?"

I stared at her, confused. "Um, no." She waited and it took me a moment for me to realize that she was expecting me to tell her where I was going. "I was actually going to the Headmaster's building..."

She raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit...overstepping your boundaries, no?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "The Headmaster has no personal boundaries," I assured her. She smiled and I took the kind gesture as a push to be friendlier myself. "Do you need help getting to the office?"

She let out a huge exhale. "That would be extremely helpful, thank you. I don't even know where I am anymore. I came from the Moon Dormitory's side and now..."

And with that, I was being a vampire's guide.

0-0

"Look who came for the last period," Ruka called out as a blond man strode into the room. Seeing the grin on his face, Ruka's own smile stopped. "Why are _you_ so happy?"

"Why shouldn't I be?" Hanabusa asked, raising an eyebrow. He felt completely fine. In fact, he felt light and carefree now. With the hours that had passed by since he last saw Kaede, he finally regained the proper and usual mindset. Ignoring her was completely plausible. Actually, ignoring wasn't quite the right word as it gave the subject...a subject. He was completely cutting her off, he was making her disappear. There was nothing _to _ignore because there was nothing _there_. It would be easy. After all, he had gone all these years without running into the girl and he had not heard a single thing of her. Why should now be different? It just meant that he would stop wandering at night. It wasn't as if Kaede participated in school events or arrived at the gates every dawn like the other girls.

This would be easy...because Kaede was the invisible type.

Ruka and Akatsuki exchanged a look before she walked towards her cousin, and stopped, hands on her hips. "Weren't you with Akiyama?"

He made a face. "No, why would I – is she _here_?"

Behind them, a book snapped shut and they all turned to face the pureblood who was getting up from his seat in a slow, graceful and utterly terrifying, predator like movement. But he didn't say anything. He silently walked out of the room, leaving every single pair of eyes staring right behind him.

A pair of blue green ones in particular. "Kaname...sama?"

0-0

"...and I'm not a hundred percent sure who's in charge because the Night Class faculty is different," I said as I pointed towards the doors leading into the office. She smiled gratefully, petting Akira who rubbed himself next to her happily. At one point, he had done a full 180 and opened up to her warmly, acting like his usual charming self. I was completely fine with that – jealousy did not run in me too strongly, if it did, I would have killed nearly the entire population – but it made me curious. Most dogs, after a whiff or two, would decide whether or not they like you but towards Akiyama, Akira just...changed. No sniffing, no treats, no petting.

"Thank you so much, I didn't expect this school to be so big. In the car, it seemed..."

She seemed to be searching for the right word. Slowly, I suggested, "smaller?"

She laughed, touching her hair. "Of course." Fingers through the tresses, she looked as if she came straight out of a hair commercial. But I suppose vampires were born beautiful. I wonder...should I tell her I know?

There was no point of that, I reminded myself, none at all.

Besides, Akiyama was friendly. Akira liked her enough, and she did nothing that could even be seen as haughty or frightening so there was no reason to set myself up for an awkward situation. "Well, it was nice meeting you. I hope you find who you're looking for," I waved and turned, catching up with Akira who was already at the end of the hallway.

"Oh I hope so, his cousin was looking for him this afternoon."

"Maybe he was just taking a nap somewhere," I said politely so it wouldn't be as if I ignored her. But I still needed the Tylenol and I knew none of the teachers that worked with the Night Class that would take kindly to me bringing a dog inside the building.

"Well, if you see a blond haired, blue eyed man – send him my way." She laughed but I stopped. I didn't tell her that I didn't see colour, of course, there was no reason to but I remembered that description clearly. There had to be more blond guys with blue eyes...but yet..."Do you mean Hanabusa?"

She stopped too, startled. Her eyes widened slightly before lowering, her eyebrows pulling together and the smile leaving her face. "Aidou," she said slowly, "how do you..." And then she blinked and leaned back slightly, her chest rising with a deep breath. "You didn't tell me your name," she said quietly.

Ah, crap. "Misane -"

Two voices spoke at once. Hers, and a male's.

"_Kaede_."

0-0

This was not the scene he wanted to walk into. Hanabusa had left the room with his cousin to see where Kaname had gone to – only to walk in on the two girls that he had been trying to avoid. On one end was Maemi, her eyes narrowed, looking as if she was staring at a very difficult question, and on the other was Kaede who just looked plain confused. And completely out of place. _What is she wearing_?

"What are you doing here?" Hanabusa asked quickly, his eyes wide.

"You invited me -"

"Not you," he said dismissively and turned to Kaede who now looked beyond shocked. "You're not allowed to be on campus at this time," he pointed towards her, frowning. This was supposed to be one of the times he was confident that he would _not _run into her and now she was ruining a vital part of his Kaede-free plan. She gave him a withering glare but then shook her head, as if having no more of the situation.

"It was nice to meet you again," she called out to a startled Maemi who was staring at Hanabusa in absolute horror. She turned her back on all of them without another word towards Hanabusa. "Come on, Akira." The dog barked and Hanabusa flinched automatically – ignoring the mutter from Akatsuki about his manliness, or rather lack of – and as if purely habitual, he took a step closer towards her...until he remembered that he wasn't _supposed _to have anything to do with her. He sighed, rubbing his face before turning back to the aristocrat. "I didn't actually expect you to come," he said flatly, rather coldly.

She had no idea what to make out of the situation. The pleasant girl she had met and talked to for a decent fifteen minutes – the polite but genuinely interested small talk that somehow missed the exchange of names – had been the girl whose name was brought up at the soiree? The coincidence was astounding. She blinked and then dragged her eyes to Hanabusa who looked troubled, and Akatsuki who did not at all looked pleased to be there. "I..." What could she say? She wanted to go see him and decided, why not? She had never thought she would be greeted by a cold Aidou and run into the girl she had heard about on the night Hanabusa had drunk from her. "I see that this isn't a good time."

"You think?" He muttered, looking frustrated. But the moment she opened her mouth, he was already leaving.

But then he stopped when he saw Kaede, hunched over, the dog's squished up and furry face in her hands as she laughed and kissed it.

_I do not love her, I do not love her. I. Do. Not. Love. Her. _

So why was it so hard to look away?

He needed a new plan.

What can he do to un-love her?

Easy.

Make _her _love _him_.

* * *

HI EVERYONE. How has it been? Summer's almost over and life could be tough but hopefully, this update makes up for the month long hiatus :)

I can't wait for you all to read the next chapter, ahhh. But thank you for reading this one! Reviews would be lovely.


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